WHAT TECHIES KNOW - Finding Answers On the Web
The web is an endless
stream of information - but finding the information you're interested in can
be an exercise in frustration. You know it's out there, but where? The following
guide is designed to help you dig that needle from beneath the haystack --
and help you find your way back to those sites you forgot to bookmark.
You Are Not Alone
Something that works on
your side is the fact that unless you're very, very special, you're likely
not the first person to experience the very problem you're trying to resolve.
The answer is out there. Resources at Your Fingertips If you know all the
types of sites offering the sort of information you're interested in, you'll
know if you missed something. Here's a short list:
Manufacturers' Sites
- It's tantamount to asking "Are you sure the power switch is on?" - but people
often overlook the most obvious place to go for help. Hardware and software
companies alike will often have very useful information posted, in the form
of searchable support databases and FAQs. You might find updated drivers as
well, or a software patch or update.
Software Publishers'
Sites - Obviously, look here for help with programs and operating systems
-- but don't forget that many heavy-duyt applications and games reveal shortcomings
in hardware.
Tech Sites - Sites
like Targetpc are constantly thrashing computer hardware and reporting on
their findings. There are also myriad other specialized sites, offering info
on specific areas of computing, ranging from digital video production to networking.
Look for "Links" pages on sites you already like, and check out a directory
such as Yahoo! to find more.
PC Gaming Sites
- No one thrashes their hardware harder or runs into more problems than an
avid gamer. Always shuffling video cards and likely to overclock anything,
gamers know hardware. Well, fast hardware that's suitable for gaming, anyway.
User Groups - There
are UGs for almost every aspect of computing you can think of, from using
Lotus or WordPerfect (still!). Still others are less focused, being general
PC users groups, comrpised of techie-types. Many publish electronic newsletters
with frequently useful bits of information.
Hardware "Groupie"
Sites - Many popular pieces of hardware have dedicated fans who will host
an 'unofficial' web site to share information about a particular motherboard,
cd burner, even a specific chipset or chipset manufacturer.
Newsgroups - There
are newsgroups devoted to many specific areas of computing, such as storage
or 3D graphics, as well as hardware manufacturer specific groups. The search
engine Google allows you to search over a decades' worth of postings using
their Google Groups feature. A fabulous resource, but it helps to be in the
mood for a lot of reading.
