Webmonkey

TYPE: online resource, Web how-to

Put together by the good folks at Wired magazine (no relation to eWire...), Webmonkey is one of the most useful sites on the Web. Anyone who does their own Web site should be a regular visitor to the Monkey. It's self-described as "A How-to Guide for Web Junkies", and that it is: Throughout the site you'll find articles, opinions, news, and — most importantly and most useful — how-to's and explanations.

Webmonkey looks great and is easy to navigate, which is extra important with a site like this — would you really take Web advice from an ugly and confusing site? You'll find sections on Web design, HTML, graphics, multimedia, JavaScript — even stuff for you back-end types. And Webmonkey is always up-to-date with what's current on the Web, making it a valuable resource for new Web technologies like style sheets and dynamic HTML. There's also product reviews and recommendations on every kind of Web development applications (HTML editors, graphics programs, etc.).

What if you're new to the Web and think Shockwave has something to do with earthquakes? Webmonkey has a lot of information and tutorials for the beginner, too, including a great HTML Cheat Sheet, and help with two important (but often-misused) HTML elements: tables and frames. There's also good graphics coverage, including answers to questions like the difference between GIF and JPG images. If you're beyond the basics, there's plenty of information on higher-end stuff (the JavaScript and dHTML tutorials were quite infomative). And everything is written with the Monkey's geeky sense of humor — it's definitely not like reading a textbook.

Bottom line: if you do any work on the Web, you should be a regular Webmonkey visitor. Otherwise you're missing out on one of the best — and most useful — sites around.

Uploaded April 1998