50 Best Websites of 2004

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First, a caveat. This is not a directory of the 50 greatest websites ever. Rather, it's a tally of the best sites launched — or piqued our interest in some way — since last year's list. Think of it as our round-up of 50 nifty links we think you should check out. So get clicking! More »

News & Information

We'll stay away from most of the major news organizations. Instead, here are some less obvious links, an encyclopedia of how-to advice and a Hollywood hot sheet, a lie detector and a blog-sifter, all guaranteed to keep you in the know More »
Lifestyle & Culture

Each site listed here pertains to a particular area of interest — politics, science, health, music — but they all have two things in common: great content and great presentation More »
Communities

It's a small world, after all, and the Internet can make it seem even smaller. Each of these sites, in one way or another, and for one reason or another — practical, personal or professional — does a good job of connecting people. More »
Tools & Essentials

Here are some new, exciting and maybe better ways to do a lot of things you probably already do — search the Web, share digital photos, consult a thesaurus, find something on a map and decide what to cook for dinner More »
Just For Fun

If you're in the market for new ways to waste time, you're in luck: we found some marvelous examples of flash animation, a rather odd public art installation and one bad-ass movie site, among other worthwhile distractions More »