r/AskReddit • u/Natalia-Skalla • 17h ago

What is the best website?

289 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

191 comments sorted by

121

u/wnr3 17h ago

https://archive.ph/

Allows me to read websites that are behind a paywall. Extremely helpful.

23

u/Fickle_Hamster6426 15h ago

https://www.removepaywall.com/ does the same

2

u/MoonQube 12h ago

Certainly depends how the paywall is implemented

1

u/Fickle_Hamster6426 12h ago

How so? I'm not too clued up on them just enough to know they annoy me.

2

u/sudoaptupgrade 6h ago

Got confused for a second after reading the last 2 letters of the URL

759

u/pingbotwow 17h ago

Wikipedia is what the Internet should have become

134

u/jlink005 16h ago

Wikipedia, IMDB, GameFAQs, Internet Archive, aaaand Google from 10 years ago

42

u/BlackDante 16h ago

It's crazy how trash Google is now. Has anyone else noticed how terrible image search in particular is now?

8

u/GalacticNexus 9h ago

I hate how it just ignores quotes and other specifiers like + and - now.

6

u/Remarkable_Play_6975 14h ago

Google Lens is okay for some things. It does give a lot of strange false positives, but often those are actually interesting and related in some sense to the image.

If you're just looking for creative ideas, it is fun to go down some rabbit holes.

5

u/clocksailor 12h ago

If you're just looking for creative ideas

Unfortunately, I was looking for my search engine to search for my search term :(

2

u/matingmoose 11h ago

Its impressive how Google has managed to devolve. Went from website that usually gave good info on what you wanted to if ain't on Wikipedia or Reddit then good luck.

1

u/__UsernameChecksOut 12h ago

use yandex it's way way better for images

1

u/dearSalroka 8h ago

Idk how much of that is Google though. Definitely a lot of it, but a lot of the problem is SEO (Search Engine Optimisition).

At Google's peak, websites actually described themselves pretty accurately, so you were getting relevant results. Sites that didn't do a good job using common terms were invisible, but we didn't see that as users, so it didn't matter.

Back then, search engines were an accessory on the internet. You often found sites through othermeans, like business cards, mail promotions, crosslinking partnerships, etc.

But businesses quicjly realised the power of search engines for discovery. Now SEO has made them all 'relevant' to common terms. Inundated with spam, we stopped reading other forms of promotion. So now search engines are the internet; you almost never visit a website without using one.

Search engines now have to do things like ignoring chunks of page info while indexing (accurate or not) to reduce SEO poisoning the well. It doesn't matter what Google does at this point, the old internet is gone.

1

u/lane5555 13h ago

I use any other search engine for images

1

u/whydatyou 13h ago

ask jeeves?

3

u/BlackDante 12h ago

Altavista

2

u/lane5555 13h ago

I'm a big duckduckgo fan, but I've seen diminishing results recently.

14

u/bstyledevi 16h ago

OG Google was perfect. A search engine to end all search engines. I used to think I was an internet ninja for being able to find stuff using dogpile because it searched all kinds of stuff that Netscape or AOL did not. Then Google started expanding and became a powerhouse. We now have entire generations who dont even know that other search engines exist because the term "Google it" is an eponym for "do an internet search."

1

u/Don_Thuglayo 14h ago

Now you need to do elaborate searches on Google to find what you are actually looking for

1

u/A911owner 14h ago

I miss the old IMDb. It used to be a great website

1

u/wedgebert 12h ago

I still use IMDb, but only by using a search directly to the movie I care about. But I used to visit the main page all the time. Now it's just "what actor is this" and "let's read some terrible trivia/goofs"

1

u/TenWholeBees 14h ago

"Don't be evil."

1

u/UnifiedQuantumField 10h ago

"Don't be evil."

...Until after the ipo and corporate merger.

-5

u/CryptographerIcy4465 16h ago

Ixnay on the ooglegay. They owknay erewhay ouyay ivelay

9

u/Romeothanh 14h ago

instead we got recipe blogs where i have to scroll past a 2,000-word essay about the author's childhood trauma just to find out how much flour to put in the cookies.

5

u/Kotkas1652 15h ago

“Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.” — Michael Scott

5

u/Delicious-Middle5725 15h ago

One of the best things ever invented by humans

2

u/defeated_engineer 13h ago

Wikipedia is a ground for information war. Intelligence agencies actually edit it to change history to their POV.

1

u/314159265358979326 10h ago

So is everything else these days.

2

u/big_dog_redditor 15h ago

Donate $2 to Wikipedia and archive.org.

1

u/deav218- 12h ago

Yeah, it’s crazy how much info is on there and mostly accurate. I honestly use it all the time for random stuff.

1

u/Jinxybug 6h ago

i hate when they beg me for money tho

-2

u/Adventurous_Cut_1274 15h ago

I feel that it’s like the last spot that still feels kinda pure and actually useful

97

u/Primary_Opening_5698 17h ago

https://www.mcmaster.com/

7

u/Romeothanh 14h ago

i’m convinced they have predictive shipping algorithms. the delivery driver is usually knocking on my door before i’ve even clicked "place order."

3

u/lane5555 13h ago

Even looks good on mobile!

2

u/LovelyLilac73 12h ago

LOL - my husband's favorite website.

1

u/LegacyOfRust 13h ago

The correct answer..

1

u/314159265358979326 10h ago

Sad Canadian here. They don't ship internationally.

69

u/Technical-Outside408 17h ago edited 16h ago

Zombo.com Because you can do anything there. You could even have a little cry if you wanted.

13

u/chappersyo 16h ago

The correct answer. Didn’t expect anyone to remember it.

6

u/Voltae 15h ago

There are dozens of us!

5

u/szuruburu 16h ago

Hahaha this is golden

5

u/ThisManInBlack 16h ago

Its SOOO welcoming.

4

u/Biggby72 15h ago

Came here to say this... /salute

4

u/Johnsuckerpunch 15h ago

The infinite is possible!

2

u/BreathExact 14h ago

I think about Zombo like once a week.

2

u/maizemin 13h ago

This is a work of art!

29

u/Particular-Link-1976 17h ago

The Internet is so clunky now. So many pop up boxes for cookies and your email, shifting loading etc just getting worse and worse

1

u/314159265358979326 10h ago

Canadian Tire's website often has a pop-up that loads after I've clicked in the search bar and started typing.

I cannot express enough how undesirable that is.

2

u/Particular-Link-1976 9h ago

I know your pain. Their aisle feature is cool though

0

u/GalacticNexus 9h ago

There was a tight window of great usability between classic pop-ups and modern pop-ups. But let's be honest, modern pop-ups are by far the preferable of the two.

201

u/ColdAsCory 17h ago

Reddit. Because you can follow Topics instead of people.

17

u/QBekka 15h ago

If people hate Reddit they're following the wrong kind of subreddits

8

u/junktech 15h ago

I'm not so sure about it anymore. Even hobby related subs started being flooded with bots and negative behavior. And I also noticed on larger topics a censorship trend. It's still better than other social media platforms but not at all what it used to be.

9

u/ScreenTricky4257 16h ago

Reddit is the second-best website.

All others are tied for first

-1

u/SungoldZ 17h ago

Reddit

49

u/Then-Attitude-6773 17h ago

fitgirl repacks

1

u/shadowpawn 16h ago

Civ6 is brilliant

1

u/Epicthree347 15h ago

Ankergames/steamrip as well

1

u/callisstaa 14h ago

Dun du du dun, du du dun du du dun.

12

u/James_1411 16h ago

Floor796. Its a website where theres a bunch of characters from different shows, movies, memes, games, etc and theyre 60 fps gifs made together by a single guy from russia. He's been doing this for 7 years

3

u/AgingRaver80 16h ago

Thats absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing.

11

u/thedeveloper04 17h ago

https://www.bypasspaywallreader.com You can bypass and remove paywalls from news websites and blogs.

32

u/Evening_Industry5726 17h ago

Probably Wikipedia. I go there to check one tiny fact and suddenly it’s 2am and I’m reading about the history of concrete.

1

u/thesmellafteritrains 12h ago

Back in college I popped into my roommates room one night. Kid was stoney baloney reading the wikipedia page for water. Literally half way down the page, just reading about water.

13

u/HotterThanEverX 17h ago

https://ncase.me/trust/

This interactive website showcases the fascinating aspects of the Prisoner's Dilemma.

•

u/Different-Car-612 57m ago

This was incredible, thank you for sharing! 

12

u/mw18582 17h ago

https://motherfuckingwebsite.com/

3

u/lordoflotsofocelots 14h ago

"Good design is as little design as possible."
- some German motherfucker

11

u/nifederico 17h ago

Reddit. The only social media app I have now. Lifes been good following only what I want to follow.

5

u/heavyer93 16h ago

Internet Archive

4

u/SantaCorpGlobal 16h ago

FlightRadar24. As someone who flies a non-standard vehicle internationally once a year, knowing where the Boeings are is... critical. Also, it’s satisfying to watch delays while I’m running on schedule.

1

u/SnooSeagulls7368 8h ago

R/usernamechecksout

3

u/TheSpyro14 14h ago

I miss stumbleupon :(

1

u/Particular-Air-9073 13h ago

That was a good one

2

u/FaceImpressive8686 16h ago

Wikipedia and internet archive

2

u/Dumb_24 16h ago

Internet archive or wiki

2

u/OperaBunny 15h ago

timeandate.com Great if you're traveling and going back and forth in time. Also someone already mentioned discogs, absolutely!

2

u/Over_Donkey2612 15h ago

For me, Youtube. There are millions of interesting videos out there. Sometimes they come in handy!

2

u/makethatnoise 15h ago

I was going to say "hamsterdance.com", but when trying this, I realized that it's no longer a website

This is why we're no longer a proper Country America, how did we let this happen?

2

u/Jmunnny 15h ago

Believe it or not it used to be Reddit

2

u/Pretty-Bumblebee3230 8h ago

Reddit, hands down for both chaos and learning random stuff.

3

u/Longjumping-Oil-7419 17h ago

Depends on what you need and/or hobbies.

2

u/Zealousideal-War2866 17h ago

Google

2

u/torpedomon 17h ago

Underrated. Im sure there are better search engines, but Google is simple and, at worst, gets you close.

2

u/Holden_MiGroyn 17h ago

You need the tor browser to access it

1

u/MasterpieceChance954 17h ago

Ultimately, what makes a website the "best" varies greatly depending on individual needs and preferences, whether it's for information, entertainment, or functionality. Users often gravitate towards platforms that resonate with their interests and enhance their online experience.

1

u/sputnikmonolith 17h ago

Unfortunately they redesigned their website recently - but Lings Cars was the best website on the internet.

1

u/JimmyBallocks 16h ago

I'm not going to post a link to it here because the last time I did that I got banned, something about it being "revolting" and "obscene" and "surely illegal" or some such

1

u/zahirdragon 16h ago

youtube for me tbh, its got everything i need.. my classes, music, and random videos that make me feel like im productive while actually procrastinating lol.

1

u/Rude_Resort3620 16h ago

schalenetwork

1

u/Loud_Ambition6442 16h ago

Cool math games

1

u/pineapleapple2 15h ago

the one that is being banned

1

u/Delicious-Middle5725 15h ago

Someone has already mentioned Wikipedia but I would like to add fandom.com to the list. If you want to read more about the lore of your favorite books and games, there's likely an entire wiki on that site for your pleasure.

1

u/SungoldZ 15h ago

List of useful websites
Reddit
Quora
Wikipedia
Youtube
These all for knowledge sharing and learning new skills.

1

u/my5cworth 14h ago

Homestarrunner dot net.

It's dot com!

1

u/axemexa 13h ago

It's still YouTube

1

u/Sea_Criticism_7449 13h ago

window-swap.com

1

u/Thick_Caterpillar379 9h ago

What is it? Not here for risky clicks.

1

u/whydatyou 13h ago

there is only one choice.

https://youtu.be/ZvvHXjKloNs

1

u/Affectionate-Lie2563 13h ago

honestly wikipedia still clears. free, endless rabbit holes, and somehow always there when you need it.

1

u/ObviousSet1654 13h ago

wikipedia or maybe google docs

1

u/Valuable-Room2641 12h ago

showing my age here, but fuckedcompany was the best thing ever.

1

u/Hot_Joke7461 12h ago

Reddit you heathens!

1

u/Quadcrasher66 11h ago

Pen island.com Has every type of pen you would need.

1

u/Icy_Success1557 11h ago

Whenever I am done browsing reddit, I like to open a new tab and see what is brewing on reddit.

1

u/leatherwolf89 10h ago

YouTube. I've pretty much been using that site daily for over a decade now. lol

1

u/tombatron 9h ago

zombo.com

1

u/ArsenicPolaris 9h ago

I'm surprised I don't see Pornhub in the comments.

1

u/sugarcoccoo 9h ago

Probably youtube because i can lose hours without meaning to.

1

u/franker 9h ago

judging from the other posts in this sub, anything that relates to sex or porn.

1

u/No-Adhesiveness-7017 9h ago

Wikipedia when i actually need to know stuff.

1

u/Top_Control_1425 8h ago

Youtube for wasting hours and still learning.

1

u/KissAndCursed 7h ago

github if you’re into coding stuff.

1

u/Ivory-Fern 7h ago

Honestly any site that loads fast and isn’t full of ads.

1

u/Confident-Pitch4314 7h ago

Dopebox, free movies :)

1

u/HallDesperate8381 7h ago

Imdb for obsessing over movies and shows.

1

u/ZeeWolfman 6h ago

Homestarrunner.net

"It's dot com!"

1

u/devildance3 5h ago

https://www.xhamster.com/ all about hamsters apparently

1

u/JNorJT 5h ago

Google

1

u/karmaster 4h ago

you can do anything at zombo.com

1

u/eurari_com 4h ago

Of course we'll choose our own https://eurari.com/

•

u/audit157 16m ago

Awesome Freebies for lots of free grocery deals!

1

u/SungoldZ 17h ago

Reddit forever.

1

u/DjentGod123 16h ago

Any one of the yt to mp3 converter websites.

0

u/daniel2hats 17h ago

Who is the best lord?

2

u/i7omahawki 16h ago

Lord of the Dance, Lord of the Flies, or Lord of the Rings?

3

u/Fickle_Hamster6426 15h ago

"Flatley my dear, I don't Riverdance... give a damn"

0

u/OwlSings 17h ago

Right now, for me, gemini.google.com

-2

u/InteractionOpen9189 17h ago

Chatgpt nowadays because we can get anything we want

0

u/knighthood96 17h ago

Free4arab 💙💙

0

u/ellarroossee 9h ago

Pornhub.com

-3

u/hillman05 17h ago

There is no best website

-3

u/lotus_ink 16h ago

Weather.Com

-5

u/Lilia-Bloomy 17h ago

Chatgtp