What Practical Things Do you do on the Online?

The United States Postal Service allows me to use the Internet to confirm when a package or important letter I have mailed has been delivered.

I am lately getting more of my daily news from the Internet as I find it more in-depth than TV. All the major networks have news coverage on their websites that is far superior to their broadcast product.

In the health department, I use the Website of my insurance company to track claims. I use the National Weather Service to track storms and forecasts.

Also, where would I get as many diverse opinions from so many different people than in forums such as Able2know? These forums are sort of my "reality check." Sometimes, I think a personal opinion way out in left field, then I find it validated by someone here. The Internet is a way to keep in touch with old friends and a place to make new ones.

I like tracking flights when someone is flying into town - useful because the airport is just minutes away.

FlightView.com

http://www.flightview.com/

Flight Tracker

https://bwi.flightview.com/htSabreVT/main.asp

Flight Arrivals.com

http://www.flightarrivals.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Flights

Air Traffic Control System Command Center

http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyFAA/index.html

I do a ton of work on the Net-- run backgrounds, download court dockets, search public records, research and order corporate documents, locate people and businesses.

Then I get home and do another ton of work-- check my bank balance and account history, shop (got all my Christmas shopping done online in two days!), verify receipt of my property tax payment by the Assessor, search for the best deal on refinancing the house, learn the best way to roof a workshop, search for a contractor and check his license status and discipline history, help the kids with their homework and check the reliability ratings of used cars when we're in the market for another one. Whew!

Then I can relax, cruise EBay, and come here.

Well, besides being here on this site,
- pay all my bills online (banks and credit cards), do all other finances online,
- do most of my (history) research online.
- look for printed books in the library, order articles, books from the library online. get ordered articles online ...
- read newspapers and magazines
- do some of my university courses online
- ... ...

I make queries regarding my bank account and pay water, electricity and phone bills. I do not shop online, since I never know which of the Web-based retailers is a real thing, and which is a fraud that disappears with money without delivering a merchandise.

1. stocks
2. references & research
3. check the DOW
4. register for college courses
5. order books etc
6. e-mail
7. chat
8. consturct little websites

pay bills online (wonderful!)
get maps/driving directions
Christmas/gift shopping
buy books & CD's
Research products/services
plan vacations ie. learn about tourist sites etc
Buy plane tickets
Hotel reservations
car rentals

Also, like Fishin, the internet is my principal source for reference.
(dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, white pages, yellow pages etc)

PS
I now have a 'wish list' on Amazon.com.

It works similar to the way a bridal registry works except it stays there as long as you want. When someone wants to buy something for a birthday, or father's day, or Christmas etc they can check the wish list.
If they buy it from Amazon.com it disappears from the list so there are no duplicates.

I use the Amazon Wish List and Shopping Cart to keep the names of books that I don't want to forget about it. Dvds too.

I used the wish-list feature on several different sites this year.....got everything I asked for, too!

good idea Larry

Unfortunately, without realizing it, my saved shopping cart ballooned to a couple hundred items and due to Amazon's clumsy navigation of Shopping Cart (you can only look at ten items per page) it takes forever to make your way to see whats at the "bottom" of the cart. Wish list is more effective for this purpose because it shows you twenty or more items at a time.

This is one of my other favorite places to buy things - they have a wish list also works real fine.

HALF.COM

I like Bizrate.com to compare prices. Helpful with books and dvds. Gives you a list of online merchants and their prices for whatever item you are searching for.

http://www.bizrate.com/

At work, I frequently use www.usps.com to verify mailing addresses or look up zip codes that are missing.

My mom has worn a perfume called Ma Griffe for 50 years. It had become very difficult to find - and quite expensive. Then I found www.fragrancenet.com - they sell it at a discount and will ship it to her home!

I also refill my mail-order prescriptions and renew library books online.

I use the Internet Movie Database "My Movies" feature to satisfy my compulsive list-making urge - keeping lists of my favorite movies in separate genres so I don't forget them - British movies, documentaries, "foreign," classics, etc. Its also a good way to keep a list of movies you may want to buy on dvd someday. And of course you can give your own ratings to each movie and sort them by rating.

I made the same discovery when I went looking for my mothers favorite of fifty years ago, 4711. It was no where to be found locally.

I read the newspapers from various cities in my new country. I also read US papers and best of all listen to my old public radio station live. Never miss a "Prairy Home Companion" or "Whatta Ya Know". Wierd though hearing about a jack-knifed semi blocking several lanes on an icy interstate fourty-four when you're sitting in a city where people have never seen a snowflake in their entire lives.

I buy movie tickets to the local cinema online too at www.cinecolombia.com.co

Nice observation!

This isn't exactly practical, but I listen to the new BBC7, which has old shows like the Goon Show, Hitchhiker's Guide, and dramas like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Wuthering Heights.

BBC7