My Top 10 Procrastination Tools (Top Ten Websites)

Member Name: Renza_e

Product:	Top Ten Websites
Date:	23/01/09 (167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great boredom busters, study helpers and money spenders.

Disadvantages: If you want to get your work done (and maybe even save your pennies) stay away from these sites

Here a list of things I look at online when I should be studying. Whilst I couldn't imagine life without internet anymore, these websites have eaten away at precious hours of my life...

1) Dooyoo

I only discovered Dooyoo on January 8th this year would you believe it and already it has begun to dominate my life. I loved to review stuff and generally give my opinion before this but this just allows me to do so whilst making money! It is something which is going to take great restraint to keep away from when my essay deadlines loom and exam time comes around again. Hopefully by that point I will have developed an even stronger self-discipline.

2) Facebook

Facebook helps me organize my university social life. This is probably the best social networking website on the web. It doesn't have the terrible layout of myspace or as many of the annoying members of bebo (many of whom wish to be my friend even if they do look like Jodie Marsh imitations and profess a love for gangsta' rap). It's pretty easy to sign up and you can join a network that relates to your school, university or local area. From then on you can communicate with your friends via a 'wall', post up pictures of yourself and there are countless other features. I have currently got my facebook account linked to the Flickster film rating website where you can rate and view ratings of films.

3) You Tube

I believe that if a person was stuck in a room with little more than food, water, a computer and an internet connection, they could amuse themselves on this website for absolute hours, if not weeks. You can find tons of video footages from homemade shorts, animation, film trailers, interviews, tv clips, music videos and possibly even (though a bit illegal) a few old films or tv episodes. I recently found a great documentary on youtube that I am not going to mention in case it's taken off!

4) Rotten Tomatoes

This site is fantastic for checking up on reviews of films - old, new and upcoming. It also provides statistical box office details, photo galleries, film reviews and various film-related articles are written up. I think that film fans like myself will love this website.

4) Imdb

Imdb is great for keeping yourself updated on films that have not only been made but ones which are in the making or have been proposed as well as keeping up to date with what your favourite actors are up to. In addition to that, you can discuss films, actresses and other people involved with film on the Imdb boards should you wish to. I especially enjoyed searching the film photos of and the actors involved in the recent 'Twilight' film.

5) BBC iplayer


BBC iplayer is a godsend. I am a student without a TV and so being able to watch some (mostly) good quality BBC programming legally has been fantastic. It saves me from nagging my parents to record programmes back home (which they often forgot to do). It also means that when I do visit home I can watch an episode in a series without getting confused due to my lack of knowledge of earlier episodes. The quality of the viewing is usually excellent in comparison to ITV catchup and Channel 4 catchup/4od. Moreover, there's no adverts and if you stop what you were watching mid-way through, you can get back to the same point if you go back on the same browser and computer.

6) Wikipedia

This website is compiled of articles and information contributed to by people from all over the world. Anyone can submit their own proposed editing of articles and creation of articles. Whilst this may seem risky most information on this website seems to be up-to-date and accurate. It is fantastically useful for anyone seeking information on anything. I find it particularly useful for checking names and dates for my uni history course.

7) MSN.co.uk

MSN is my online source for news of all types, from the silly to the serious. I also find the articles on it particularly interesting. This is a great website for keeping up with everything from human interest stories to recent fashion.

8) Kerrang Radio

Up in Scotland you can't get Kerrang Radio unless you buy yourself a shiny, rather expensive digital radio which is a shame because it is my favourite radio station. It plays mostly rock and alternative music which is my favourite music genre. Broadcasting via the website means that northern persons like myself can at least listen to it somewhere.

9) Amazon

Unlike many girls I hate hitting the high streets and find browsing through endless aisles of clothes and other goods nightmarish (unless it's Schuh!), so I really like to shop online. Amazon is a fantastic website which I can use to buy goods for great prices from music to my university course books. Now that I've joined dooyoo and I can convert my dooyoo miles into amazon vouchers, this makes this website doubly fantastic.

10)Ebay

As I said, I adore buying stuff online and the variety on this website is immense. You can find almost anything you can't find elsewhere and it is a great place to search for bargain prices. It doesn't necessarily mean buying second-hand tat. You can get some quality goods on here and some people sell a whole range of brand new items in their online 'shops'. I once bought the most gorgeous corset belt from this seller based in New York which you would never be able to buy elsewhere.

Honourable mentions...

~ Neopets (Great games!)
~Sparknotes (Great book analysis)
~Jstor (Great for university)
~Babelfish & Google Language Tools (Helped get me through a whole French uni course)
~ITV Catchup and 4od (same idea as Iplayer but worse)

Summary: My main distractions! Beware :p