Top 10 Websites You've Never Heard Of

As someone who spends a lot of time online, I always get excited when I find a website that I haven't heard of before.  Whether it's a gaming website, an organization website, or something totally off the wall, I'm eager to check it out.  Recently I came across a few new sites that seem to be hidden gems.

1. Prezi - Prezi is like PowerPoint but better.  I love the clean templates with cool themes and awesome color schemes.  I love that the themes that are available have different ways of organization, so chances are, you will find a "best way" to present your information.  I love that all of your progress is saved to a place that is not your computer -- that means no lost work!  I love that you can check out the work of other people to see the fantastic ideas people are having and the creative ways they're utilizing Prezi.  My only caveat is, before you use the program, check with your audience to make sure they don't experience motion sickness easily, because it can trigger that with its 3D-like movement.

2. Who Needs Feminism? - Who Needs Feminism is a movement that utilizes social media to spread awareness about feminism.  It was started at Duke University and, even when I replicated the event (as the organization encourages) at my women's college, a surprising number of people had never heard of it.  Who Needs Feminism has a presence on Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter.  While there has been some backlash with so-called "men's rights" activists (who don't understand that feminism does not mean anti-men, but rather pro-equality, meaning they are fighting for men to have the same rights in the few instances where women have "more"), the movement is growing daily.

3. 750Words - 750Words is a program similar to Write or Die! and Written? Kitten!  The premise of the site is that daily, you sign in and write 750 words.  These words can be whatever you like -- a diary, poetry, fiction, the same word 750 times, grocery lists, or a blog (which is what I did when I started this blog).  The content you write remains private and, the more you write, the more badges you can earn on the site.  For example, if you write three days in a row, you earn "the Turkey."  In addition to awesome badges, the site provides a ton of data on your writing habits, including documenting your mood based on vocabulary usage, the average amount of time it takes you to reach 750 words, the number of words you've written sine joining (I've reached 43,039 in fifty days of writing), and how long your longest writing streak is.  Unfortunately, the site is turning into a paid site on May 1 -- that is, to use the site, it's going to cost roughly $5 a month.  If I wasn't a poor college student, I'd totally keep doing it.  Guess I'll just have to go back to Write or Die!*

*Existing members (and members who sign up prior to May 1) will be awarded free lifetime accounts, with encouragements to donate.  Looks like I'll be sticking with 750Words after all! Hurray!

4. Dear Girls Above Me - Dear Girls Above Me chronicles the life of Charlie McDowell who lives in an apartment below two pretty clueless twenty-somethings.  The website describes the content as follows: "Two annoying girls moved into the apartment above me.  I'm forced to hear every dumb thing they say.  These are my letters to them."  Each "letter" to the girls is very short, as the content originated on Twitter.  McDowell has now compiled these letters into a book which is available for purchase.  I go to this site whenever I feel a little stupid -- it's not long before I feel like a genius again.

5. I Waste So Much Time - If you ever needed an excuse to procrastinate, this is it.  I Waste So Much Time allows you to do just what its title promises -- waste time.  You can easily go through pages and pages of funny and occasionally thought-provoking images and never realize that time is passing.  I sometimes run into images that I saw earlier that day on Tumblr or some other site, but I typically see several new things whenever I'm there.

6. TV Tropes - TV Tropes has a never-ending lists of tropes (or, recurring themes) in television, film, literature, and other media.  I've found this site helpful when I'm writing a novel or short story and either want to avoid cliches or am not sure where to take it next.  You can search by the title of a work or by trope, and it's great to find similarities between titles you're familiar with.  It's also a good tool if you're into a certain trope and want to find more material on that subject.  For example, if you want to see more on The Schizophrenia Conspiracy, you search that term and, with a description of the trope, you are provided with a list of films, web comics, video games, literature, and live-action television which all contain that trope.

7. Cut Out + Keep - Cut Out and Keep is an arsenal of crafts, recipes, and crafting tricks that can keep you busy for days.  Want an owl wallet?  There's a how-to for that.  Always wanted a Marilyn Monroe halter dress?  There's a how-to for that.  Dying for a Pokeball pillow?  There's a how-to for that.  Whether you like sewing, baking, cooking, crocheting, paper-crafting, or anything else, you're likely to find at least one tutorial or example of it on this site.  Cut Out + Keep also updates with articles about various crafters and crafting methods.

8. HelloGiggles - HelloGiggles is an online lifestyle magazine and community started in part by actress Zooey Deschanel.  Feminist and feminine, the site includes clever, funny, thought-provoking and moving articles as well as polls, forums, and other magazine-like content.  HelloGiggles also as a Pinterest account which fans can follow.  They love nail art and body-positive messages.

9. Project Gutenberg - With over 42,000 available titles, Project Gutenberg is a little bit more well-known, but on the off chance you haven't heard of it, it's high time you do.  The site is dedicated to taking books and literature that are now in the public domain and digitizing them so they are available to the masses for free.  By searching the title of a book, you can determine if it's available and then download it in various formats.  The site currently supports popular platforms like Kindle and good old HTML for just reading it right on your computer screen.  The books are digitized by volunteers and, while they occasionally contain mistakes, they're near perfect most of the time.  Check it out to see if your favorite classic is available -- this is a great option for college students who just can't afford a new copy of Pride and Prejudice.

10. Big Words - Speaking of poor college students, Big Words has been a live-saver for me when ordering text books.  Before you go off to Amazon, check Big Words -- they may be able to find you a cheaper version of the book you're looking for or a place where you can buy all of your books more cheaply than if you purchased them all separately.  I regularly get away with paying around 1/2 of what the bookshop at my school would have me pay for books for classes each semester.  Big Words sometimes also lets you in on coupon deals available at sites. While the site is mainly for students searching for text books, you can put in any ISBN to find anything that's out there.  Even if you're not looking for a book for school, there's a good chance you'll be able to find it for a fraction of the price using Big Words.

Now that I've given you my top ten, I want to hear some of yours.  What are some sites you love that no one else seems to know about?

Image courtesy of Idaho.gov.