Trying to locate the top ten Web sites of 1999 is like trying to locate the top ten jokes of 1999. You're bound to forget more than you remember when it comes time to compile a list of your favorites. So it's entirely possible that I've overlooked a few gems while compiling my top ten Web sites of 1999. (If you want to bring to my attention any glaring omissions, why not e-mail me and let me know?)

When this site finally became viewable in late 1999, you could almost hear the collective sound of many chins dropping to the ground in amazement. Britannica is trying to recapture online ground lost to Microsoft's Encarta, and let's just say it's off to a good start. This site allows free and full access to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as thousands of hand-selected Web sites reviewed by EB editors. Enough said. (Honorable mention: FunkandWagnalls.com)

For sheer breath of global news, oneworld.net can't be beat. It offers in-depth coverage of major news stories and the news that usually doesn't make the cut on your nightly newscast. oneworld.net has a clean design and intuitive interface that offers more than enough information to satisfy the most rabid news junkie. You can even search for news by country and language. (Honorable mention: BBC News.)

This is a site I wished had existed when I was a kid. At Learn2.com, you can learn how to do things like giftwrap a present, repair a scratched CD, and even negotiate a raise. Just make sure your boss doesn't know about the site, too. (Honorable mention: How Stuff Works.)

Google is a search engine that has emerged, like Yahoo!, from the fertile soil of Stanford University. What makes it stand out is that the top sites it ...