Single Serving Sites
March 31st, 2009
The internet is endlessly innovative and entertaining. My current favorite phenomena is Single Serving Sites - websites that do only one thing.
In stark contrast to the "be everything to everyone" mentality, these one-off'ers are kind of refreshing. Most of them can't even be called "websites," because they consist of only one web page - but, for a fraction of a minute, they serve a purpose. Here's a list of my favorites:
Useful Sites
- DownForEveryoneOrJustMe.com - very handy when it comes to library public computers
- WhatIsMyIP.org - I can never remember
- ThePostalRate.com and PriceOfAStamp.com - something I get asked frequently (my answer: buy forever stamps)
- DoIHaveIt.com not actually an SSS, but I like it
- WhatTimeIsIt.com - for those us who don't wear a watch (also, also also)
- Terror-Alert.com - current Threat Level
- KeepMeOut.com - prevents addicts from visiting a particular website for a set amount of time
Weather Sites
- GoingToRain.com
- UmbrellaToday.com - also sends email/text alerts
- DoINeedAnUmbrella.com
- Blaccuweather.com - the weather in Quahog, RI
Silly Sites
- LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com and JustFuckingGoogleIt.com - librarian job security in a can
- IsItTuesday.com
- HasTheLargeHadronColliderDestroyedTheWorldYet.com
- DoWebsitesNeedToLookExactlyTheSameInEveryBrowser.com - try this page in different browsers
- d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y.com - so you'll never misspell that word again
- IsLostARepeat.com - this would be great for almost any show
- IsItChristmas.com
- WhatColorIsTheEmpireStateBuilding.com - maybe more interesting to New Yorkers; I'd also like to see one for Niagara Falls
- DeathClock.com - find out when you will die (not Dethklok)
- InternetLastPage.com - where the Internet ends
Once you start looking for these, it almost seems that they outnumber regular websites. Check out longer lists of single-serving sites here and here. Also, IsThisYourPaperOnSingleServingSites.com is worth reading - I hope he got an A.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:13 am
Just for sharin’
http://www.isitoppositeday.com/
March 31st, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Unless “Is it Tuesday” is in the UK or Australia or somewhere like that, it’s even better: a SWSS–Single Wrong Serving Site, as it firmly says “No” on what appears to be Tuesday in California, at least.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:26 pm
@Walt: I noticed when I was working on this Monday that the site said that Yes, it was a Tuesday. It made me laugh, but I chalked it up to server mislocation too. Whois implies the site in Las Vegas, where I suppose anything is possible.
April 1st, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Brilliant! I’ve already posted about four of these on Facebook. Ironically, when I went to KeepMeOut.com, it already had facebook.com filled in the blank. I must not be the only person with that particular addiction!
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 am
Gotta love the comment in the html at the bottom of the Large Hadron Collider page! It’s not often that someone promises a refund if their web site is in error.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
@Penn: Nice catch – I like it.
And here’s another one I should have posted: as a compliment to DownForEveryoneOrJustMe.com, DingItsUp.com (also NotifyMeWhenItsUp.com) will email/text you when a site is available again. I signed up for email notification on chelmsfordlibrary.org to keep tabs on us.
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
e.ggtimer.com is pretty neat too.
April 4th, 2009 at 10:33 am
> whattimeisit.com
I really like Google for this.
Need to know what time it is in Cleveland?
Google for time cleveland
http://www.google.com/search?q=time+cleveland&btnG=Search
or for timezones?: time GMT
http://www.google.com/search?q=time+gmt&btnG=Search
or Sweden? time sweden
I loves me some Google.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Here’s a big list of them. Funny stuff and a great way to waste some time!
http://singleserved.com
April 20th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
How could you leave out Abe Vigoda Status?
http://www.abevigoda.com/ffb.php
May 11th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
http://theresablankforthat.com
Because we all love/hate those iPhone App Store commercials.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:40 am
Another huge list of single serving sites:
http://www.singleservingsite.info
December 1st, 2011 at 7:34 am
[…] go. Incidentally, I learned of Is It Old? via Lifehacker's recent single-purpose website roundup (I like single-serving websites). Tags: bindery, book, book doctor, Books, gutman library, harvard, libraries, Library, repair, […]
December 8th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
http://www.ishouldhavesaid.net/ This is a great site for snappy comebacks for all situations.