What are your favorite websites?

The Internet is a game changer, brod. Before, people gave you a blank look when you mention X, WhatsApp, or Instagram. Now, they will do the same if you haven’t heard of social media. The net has revolutionised the way we work, study, socialise, and date. Before, our ancestors did not own eBooks. Nowadays, they would be met with a meme: ‘Should’ve Gone to Specsavers.’

In the past decade, the web has toppled television as the dominant info medium. Much like FB and BluRay, the net is here to stay. Even a 4K telly cannot replicate the web’s consequence. Everything on telly is online. Live sports, Emmy-winning dramas, reality shows, nostalgic sitcoms, and buddy cop films to name a few. We are spoiled for choice. I do most of our groceries online. Here’s the list of my top sites:

Woolworths online. An obvious front runner. What else? We do our weekly shop with Woolies. We’ve taken up their Delivery Unlimited, which offers a few perks. On every shop, we earn Everyday Rewards points. Furthermore, we get free delivery on most orders, any day of the week. The Delivery Now option is the exclusion. By signing up, we’re saving on delivery fees with each order.

We browse their site for our veggies, poultry, fruit, juice, carbs, condiments, pantry and freezer items. Shopping online is handy, saving precious time. You can add items to your list, see the price per unit, and explore product suggestions. Your purchases are handpicked by their tireless team members at the local store. In-store shopping has the full range, but what you yearn for in variety online you get back in convenience. Occasionally, we still rock up to load up on some stuff.

You can shop the week’s specials and sort by lowest price. You have two hours to complete your order. Your payment is then captured. The final price is debited once your haul has been prepped. They offer rapid, same, and next day delivery. Priority delivery takes you to the front of the queue. Expect your goodies in 90 minutes. These various delivery slots have item limits, like forty or something. Some are carried out by third party drivers. The latter is delivered by Woolies vans. Customers since April, we switched from Coles.

Goodreads. A bookworms’ treasure trove. The site provides ratings and reviews for all reads imaginable. Before devouring my latest find, I’d check out the GR rating. This provides good background before digging in. Take it with a grain of salt. Reading is subjective. What is riveting for one bibliophile may be bollocks for another. For instance, I was surprised that this John Irving book was average. I found it very intriguing. The Catcher in the Rye is below four stars. In my opinion, that novel was one of the finest. Meanwhile, Norwegian Wood was more in line. It reflects its place as Murakami’s opus. All Mitch Albom’s works are highly rated. Ditto Michael Connelly and John Krakauer.

I look for books with at least four stars out of five (or 80%). Anything lower is hit or miss. Usually, the bibliophiles get it right. Their analyses are on point.

Aside from book reviews, the site offers annual awards. GR readers vote for these honours. There is every category imaginable. From sci-fi to fantasy, biography to self-help, crime to thriller. When a book is a finalist, this is noted on their page. Thus, cherry-picking the best of the best comes easy.

You can do a lot more on GR. By signing up, you can rate and review books and mark them as read. You could also add to your reading list. Likewise, engage with other bookworms.

Rotten Tomatoes. The number one review aggregator for movies and telly. RT is invaluable for film buffs. From indie films to blockbusters, classics to new releases, the site does not discriminate. The two barometers are the Tomatometer and Audience Score. Garnering 60% across the set reviewers ensures a Fresh Rating. Eclipsing 75% equates to a Certified Fresh badge. This is coupled with a blooming tomato.

Of course, there’s more than just reviews. The site provides insight into the cast and crew. You’ll learn about the director’s other work and the actor’s filmography. Discover related releases and upcoming blockbusters.

To avoid spoilers, I just peek at the Tomatometer. I rarely read reviews, even after watching. Over the decades, the site has been controversial. For one, some movies are unable to be certified fresh given their limited release and PR. Secondly, some deserved a perfect score but a spiteful reviewer or two spoiled the bunch. A recent revamp has made it much less user-friendly. As they say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’

WordPress. A no-brainer, really, where I draft and edit my posts. Given, I have the Jetpack app. However, the web version proffers extra features. When choosing blocks, you have options. The stats are detailed. There’s also more info on your posts. Before posting, you’re prompted for tags. Most importantly, you can buy WordPress.com plans. Make admin changes. Tinker with settings. Choose themes. Redesign your site.

Since 2013, I’ve been flying with WordPress.com. I’m updated on my site’s stats. I occasionally browse my homepage. The devices may have changed, but I strive for consistency. I’ve crafted over four hundred posts. An autodidact, I’m learning every week.

Ozbargain. Australia’s number one bargain site, going on twenty years. Easily one of the nation’s most popular websites. Users can upload deals and you live for the comments and upvotes. More upvotes pushes deals to the top of the site. Some offers are highlighted, compounding their importance.

In a separate forum section, ozbargainers can debate and discuss even more deals. They give their two cents’ worth. Some posters are so knowledgeable that they are revered in the community. There’s the so-called Ozbargain badge. You must hand this in if you’re not bargain savvy. There’s also the requisite April Fool’s joke.

Over the years, I’ve managed some unmissable deals. The $100 JB gift card on Boxing Day for buying the Motorola phone. The free postage labels for eBay listings. The clearance Macpac down hoodie. Many food specials, including buy one get one free and birthday deals. A few cracking gift card offers. Free Uber One membership for a year. Free two years of DashPass (DoorDash) for becoming an Amazon Prime member. CommBank Yello prompts. Free Spotify Premium for three months.

These days, I mobilise apps more than websites. I can rattle off those I use daily: Pages, CommBank, Jetpack, FlyBuys, DuckDuckGo, Netflix, Everyday rewards, Facebook, YouTube Music, and Protonmail. The five websites persist, remaining highly relevant in this app-obsessed microcosm.