Hitchhiker’s guide to the Internet

If “there is no frigate like a book,” as Emily Dickinson said, there is no private jet like the Internet. With a few clicks of the mouse and taps of the keyboard, gigabytes of data are instantly unveiled, whisking away users to their own unique niche in the beauteous network system.

Unfortunately, some only know Facebook as their primary source of procrastination despite the plethora of other delectably crafted sites, each created to appeal to select crowds: the ultimate personal experience. The key to discovering one’s own home on the Internet is through diligent exploration, schoolwork be forsaken. The following guide is meant to act as a beginner’s aide to the diversity of the Internet.

The bulletin boards of the Internet:

Forums began as the uber-technical underbelly of the Internet and still remain very much so. These message boards are usually formatted with “threads,” wherein a user usually posts a question which others reply to.

The beauty of forums lies in their diversity; whether a user cannot understand why Ubuntu refuses to download the latest version of Java or wants to know how many hit points a skeleton on “Minecraft” has, there is likely a thread for every question and a forum for every topic imaginable.

These message boards have since expanded from technical sites into entertainment opportunities. One of the largest English-based forums and home to the notorious Anonymous community, “4Chan,” is infamous for popularizing Internet memes, and though its original focus lay in anime and manga, it has threads ranging from “cosplay” to “papercraft and origami.”
The heavily image-based “9GAG” has been popularized for its focus on memes. “Reddit,” a source for “what’s new and popular online,” has a unique blend between humor and gravity. While many of its threads are story-based or meme posts, trending threads often feature politics.

Users on forums tend to have sardonic leanings, so comments should always be taken with a grain of salt. Those who find liberalism hard to stomach will meet their matches in the massive atheism and free-information movements that overrun entertainment forums, especially since users are unafraid to offend behind their anonymity. That said, cynicism and sarcasm are deployed to their utmost effectiveness on forums, making them some of the most entertaining places to be on the Internet.

Sites for people who hate reading:

For those visually inclined, image-sharing sites can provide hours of distraction through browsing photography and artwork. These sites range from forum-like bulletin boards to ascetic image hosting pages.

The tried-and-true image-sharing sites such as “Flickr” and “Photobucket” hold everything from family photos to artistic compositions. Sites such as “Imgur,” which is tied closely to “Reddit,” prominently feature memes alongside posters’ photography and artwork. Though photography is occasionally featured on “DeviantArt,” this site, which hosts comics, cartoons and original artwork, provides artists an opportunity to share their work with the world.

Those interested in fashion have taken to “lookbooks” that allow the ordinary citizen to create portfolios alongside celebrities and models. However, the site garnering massive media attention recently, “Pinterest,” is unique in its purpose to allow users to “pin” their favorite photos from all over the Internet to create personalized boards.

Unlike the anonymity often associated with forums, photographers and artists can find communities within image-sharing websites. These sites predominantly appeal to users’ aesthetic tastes.

The blogosphere:

Blogs are some of the most intimate places on the Internet because they provide users with the chance of peeking into others’ lives. These web logs, originally created for users to post personal anecdotes, have since evolved into news sources for citizen journalists, outlets for litterateurs and portfolios for the artistic.

Each blog-hosting site has its own unique layout, but the content of blogs lies with its owner. “Tumblr” has the Internet abuzz with its snippets of text and excellent photography, while “Wordpress” and “Blogspot” provide more text-based blogs, but the main attraction of blogs lies in the fact that average people can propel themselves to their 15 minutes through blogging.

Blogs are for everybody. If writing lengthy posts for “Wordpress” seems unappealing, bite-sized raconteurs can make their statements on “Tumblr.” If lurking seems like the better alternative, there are countless captivating blogs, each as unique as their writers.

For gaming-oriented individuals, Markus Persson, better known as Notch, has a “Tumblr” under his pseudonym. If fashion or DIY tickles your fancy, look for blogs under Etsy or ModCloth. When in doubt, a Google search of a favorite hobby will doubtlessly turn up hundreds of blogs.

The ever-expanding Internet can provide a much-needed distraction to stressed students, similar to the way early cinemas provided relief during the Great Depression. But remember, like economic troubles, homework won’t disappear on its own.