Why do you link me up, buttercup?
I hope these sites are as of much use to you as they have been to me. They are divided between the following categories:
Web Development
- A List Apart
- "For people who make websites", claims the strapline, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Always worth reading for a mix of good sense articles, handy tips and a pinch of adventurous experimentation with unusual techniques. This was the site that taught me to abandon tables for layouts and separate content from presentation.
- Quirksmode
- Peter-Paul Koch's invaluable resource for all things Javascript. If you're looking for a great how-it-works reference you will almost certainly find it here. Has been a life-saver to me in the past.
- Evolt
- This site has some good articles, but the best feature is the mailing list where ideas get thrashed out and requests for help are normally answered swiftly.
- Sitepoint
- I am a fan of their books which are concise and well-written. Similarly, the featured authors' blogs are also worth reading. Perhaps the most useful of all, this site has an extensive forum covering almost all web development subjects.
- Simplebits
- Dan Cederholm keeps an excellent blog on his website and he is also an expert on the subjects of CSS design and web standards.
- Mezzoblue
- Dave Shea is another 'guru'-standard expert on designing with standards and he is also the founder of the often jaw-dropping CSS Zen Garden (link below).
- The CSS Zen Garden
- If you ever need to be convinced of the incredible power of CSS, then visit this site. Although, sometimes it's hard to take just how good these designs are. :)
- HTML Dog
- Apart from being British, Patrick Griffiths's strong point is making clear the correct semantic uses of HTML elements and his primers are an essential starting point for beginners. Patrick is also a co-creator of the 'Suckerfish' method for CSS dropdown menus.
- Shaun Inman
- Developer of a number of really useful applications including Mint and IFR.
- The World Wide Web Consortium
- These guys are responsible for setting the standards. Working groups in this organisation come up with the definitive versions of HTML, CSS, XML and more.
- Why's (poignant) Guide to Ruby
- I would give both my arms to be able to write this well... er, or something. Anyway, this is a fantastically funny introduction to the Ruby programming language that doesn't patronise like your average Complete Idiot's Guide to [...]. The cartoons are excellent as well.
- Ruby On Rails
- If you're done with the above guide and feel you're ready to tackle a web project, this is the homepage for a new tool based on Ruby that is causing a lot of excitement.
- Wordpress
- Currently I use Wordpress to manage the articles I write for this site, but I am looking to maybe develop my own content management system using Ruby on Rails. For anyone who wants an intuitive and time-saving CMS I heartily recommend Wordpress.
General Interest
- Giant in the Playground
- Home of the hilarious Order of the Stick web comic. The affectionate mocking of the D&D rule system is the main source of humour, but in spite of how narrow a premise this may sound this comic is a delight to read.
- Linkbunnies
- Whenever I'm bored, these guys come through with entertaining links from across the web. Sometimes their discussions are funnier than the links themselves.
- Wikipedia
- A collaborative, user-maintained-and-edited encyclopaedia has to be the epitome of what the internet is really for. Unbelievably useful. I have linked to the English language edition, but there are many localised versions just a couple of clicks away.
- Atomfilms
- You can find some truly outstanding films on this site from both major companies and independent film-makers. Aardman's Angry Kid is just one of the many works to first air here.
- College Humour
- Repository for childish, yet funny, videos and the like. Not for kids!
Gaming
- GameFAQs
- Stuck on that end-of-level boss? Tearing your hair out trying to find the last key in the dungeon? This site has umpteen guides for almost every game you can think of.
- The RPG Codex
- Warning! Extreme narrow-mindedness and bashing of heads against brick walls await. You have to admire the tenacity with which site members hold on to their ideals about what an RPG game should really be.
- Tommy's Commies
- A friend's Call of Duty clan website. I wish I were half as competent with Photoshop.
- Geneforge
- Don't be put off by the screenshots, the Geneforge series is a really enjoyable RPG diversion with a great story. Create your own party of creatures to help set the world to rights!