Britannica.com: Access "the complete Encyclopaedia Britannica" (britannica.com) now for free with a keyword/phrase search, and also look up words in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Taking the "less is more" approach adopted by the most popular and successful sites on the Internet, Britannica.com has a simple, straightforward, idiot-proof design. A link to the Britannia Store is prominently featured on the left (Hey, they gotta make some money too, you know!), and as a concession to the fad of the moment at Web portals, you get general, business and science news summaries that are updated daily. There are also special articles, like the one titled 'Information's New Terrain' where ubiquitous economist Paul Krugman "raises a key question facing information companies: How does a content provider make money in the era of free information on the Web?" Want the answer to that one? Through merchandising and aggressive promotion, of course.

Charged: Extreme sports and popular culture are brilliantly combined at Charged, a site that's not quite as weird or offbeat as it projects to be. The features, which include such intriguing pieces as 'Boardercross, Baby!: The Ultimate Test of Freeriding Skills', 'Getting Wet in Budapest: An Awkward Spa Adventure' and the Halloween specials 'Ghost Hunting' and 'Boo: The History of Scariness and Scary Stories' are written in a zippy, endearingly wit-loaded style. There are also snappy film reviews and a 60-second film clip download . PC games are also assessed and rated, so even the kids, or the kids in adult skins, would find something to interest them here. With such a varied thematic range, you can certainly expect plenty of fresh offerings on a regular basis here.

Gardener's Paradise: While big business seems to be dominating the Web with alarming speed, it still remains the free-expression advocate's ideal avenue. And sites where individuals with no business motive are willing to share their experiences are still among the most interesting on the Internet. There may be a whole lot of rubbish as well, but as Canadian Shauna Nagy's Gardener's Paradise proves, the Websites of ordinary people are still the best way to promote a sense of community among 'Netizens' all over the world. Gardener's Paradise offers plenty of basic tips on "plants, flowers, bulbs, annuals, perennials and vegetables". And if you're so inclined, you can enjoy some "gardening jokes and trivia". Tips on plant-growing are neatly archived and there's enough information here to satisfy most gardening buffs, though those looking for scientific botanical data would have to go elsewhere. The main page is not exactly ad-free, which some might find annoying, but at least most of ads are plant-related. The layout is not all that inspiring but most of the information and links are neatly arranged.

Mars Global Surveyor Images of Mars: You've probably heard that men are from Mars -- that should account for our kind's naturally boorish behaviour -- so you owe it to yourself to check out Mars Global Surveyor Images of Mars. Who knows, the images could provide some revealing insights into why you're so weird. You might even find 'Mars-scape' a bit boring and lacking in character... like yourself. OK, enough clowning around. This is pretty serious stuff and the black-and-white JPG, GIF and TIF pictures of the 'Nirgal Vallis Highland Valley Network' and 'Labyrinthus Noctis Area West of the Valles Marineris', taken on Oct 2, will have any astronomy buff's eyes rolling in delight. The pictures, which may take a while to load, are terrific, though lesser souls would rather spend their time downloading saucier images. You can also go to the pictures taken on Nov 10, Sept 9, Aug 22 and July 3 from this page so there's plenty of Martian madness to go around.

OfficeClick.com: OK, one for the suits now! If you're an incorrigible corporate type, you'll love OfficeClick.com. Here's a site that not only offers you free tips on how to 'Build Your Career' but also gives you a chance to 'Become A CEO for a Day', virtually speaking of course. And if you're making travel or business plans, you can find most of the relevant information here, including where to buy supplies and shipping and tracking packages. This is a very business-minded site so don't be suprised if you get more dry elucidation than trippy entertainment. You have to sign up and use a password to gain access to the pages but at least you don't have to worry about giving an e-mail address and subsequently suffering a spam-mail nightmare.

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