Good, Better, Best Websites and Apps

I don't like calling myself an internet junkie. I can unplug when I should and I do. I hang out at the park or go swimming when I can and I don't let the internet block me from enjoying the finer things in life or interfere with the basics of life like cooking, cleaning, etcetera. However, I do spend a lot of time online whether it's on my desktop, laptop, or tablet. I like using websites, apps, and I like playing video games that are free. Since I've been online for such a long time (since AOL was number one and dial up was the only way on) I have a lot of opinions about which sites and apps are more user-friendly and helpful. This review is based on those two requirements. If I say a site or an app is not the best, it's because I've experienced technical difficulties with it or some other problem while I was trying to utilize it. If I say it's the "best" that means I've experienced the most benefits with the least amount of headaches. Even a website or an app can become a "classic" if it can stand the test of time; And that occurs after new competitors come up and show themselves to be less beneficial.

I think Social Media is the anti-christ to the internet. If you like the internet like I do, we should all not be fans of Social Media. Having said that I also must confess that I am addicted somewhat to some of the social media sites, my favorites still being Facebook and Pinterest. I've tried newer ones like TikTok, Instagram, and others, but they are still lacking the user-friendly design that I find comforting. Facebook has a multitude of problems and one needs to be very very careful there. Yet there is no other platform with a design like that. The design is so well done that even scammers can't kill it's popularity with me. Pinterest is much better to me than Instagram. I know people think Instagram is an easy place to post a photo, but I didn't find anything easy about trying to get an account and I gave up and went back to Pinterest. I suppose Instagram is aiming at Iphone users - Us Android or Tablet users should probably just stick with Pinterest. I love Pinterest! A great place to showcase my photos and craft ideas. It also has a business upgrade option if you want to market there. A great website and app all around. Tell you the truth, if Instagram is good, and Pinterest is Better, I'd say that the Walgreen's photo account is the best. Not only can you upload and store your photos at their website, you can order your prints to be picked up or delivered right to your mailbox. You can even set it up for someone else to pick up your prints. You can use your photos to order an assortment of products (with the photos on them) the way that you would at a place like Vistaprint. So if you're crazy about photography like me, I'd say organize at Pinterest, and get serious at Walgreens.

Some of us still look for chats online so we surf to Facebook to read the latest memes and see if anyone is online to chat with. Lots of new gens have been getting addicted to TikTok. It's a wierd platform to me and sometimes it really gets on my nerves. It's just a scroll of reels and you can leave a comment on someone's post, but most of those junkies are just trying to whip up high numbers and algorithms. If you didn't like the popularity contests that occurred in high school, then you won't like TikTok very much. I have seen very funny content there, but most of the time people just do bizarre stuff to get more attention and likes and subscribers; So their reels are anything but "real". Nah, I'll skip that. I'm getting bored with Facebook, but it's still more user-friendly and beneficial. It's still more social. If TikTok is good, and Facebook is better, I'd say AOL online was the best even if it was during the dial-up days. So sad that we lost that part of the internet. Well, let's look on the bright side - at least we got Wifi. Yahoo could bring that style back, but so many people have forgotten about Yahoo and the app just doesn't do the website justice, so I don't think Yahoo can help much to bring back those warm fuzzy times when chatrooms were the thing. Google Chat is the closest we can get. Oh well.

I really won't be jumping on the TikTok train. I'm much more comfortable at Youtube and if I want to make a video or a reel I'll just stick with Youtube and Facebook. They both offer those and I've found their system easy enough for me to navigate. YouTube rocks in my opinion. It's not about a popularity contest there. It's more about learning how to utilize public access to grow as an artist, contributor, and video creator. It's really wonderful. So if TikTok is good, then YouTube is the BEST!

As for entreprenuer stuff and shopping, there are so many places to explore and learn about, but I don't have all that much time so I'll just let you know what I use and find helpful.

I had several options for my online shoppe - I call it Jane's Gifts, which is the evolution of my original shoppe "Impulse Emporium". I'm not profitable yet so I haven't registered the business or the name and I may have to change it yet again, but on Listia, the Listians know me as Jane and I'm doing alright there. I was going to open at Ebay, and Etsy, and even Shopify, until I explored and found out that for my crafts and sales, those big names are just too big. While Ebay and Etsy allow you to mostly use their services to post for free, I wouldn't exactly call them "user-friendly" -- The people doing well there have spent years fine tuning their skills on those sites and a little crafter like me can't swim with those sharks. As for Shopify, they simply want too much money from a beginner. I don't know why they think everyone is rolling in dough. It seemed ridiculous to ask a newcomer for that kind of money. So for my needs, I'd say that Etsy is good, Ebay is better, and Listia is best. Listia is not only very easy to use, it offers an assortment of categories for postings, allows you to gain free points for trading, accepts three different kinds of trade currency (cash, points, and Ink which is kinda like bitcoin.) and it also makes the whole experience enjoyable with badges of accomplishments and Listian ratings.

Yes, for the beginner online entreprenuer I definitely think Listia is the best place to be.

What about my writing? Aren't there tons of places for me to write and make money? Besides Vocal, I really have no idea. Long ago, when I dialed up to AOL there was a website called Epinions.com where I used to get paid to write reviews and eidtorials. Mostly they were product reviews. It folded because they had to keep paying old writers for outdated reviews on products that weren't even on the market anymore. Now consumer reviews takes care of that and Vocal has the market for stories and editorials. I spent over a decade at AllPoetry.com writing poetry and stories, but they don't pay. And some of the people there are rude and unkind. So I've begun to lose interest in utilizing that website as much as I used to. Again, it's like TikTok, just a popularity contest, and if you're over that, then you won't find it very useful or enjoyable. If Vocal is the BEST, I'd say AllPoetry is at "Better" and Reddit is at "Good". I don't use Reddit. I think Reddit's design is poor and it's just too confusing to try to navigate there.

Where do I go to find jobs or free stuff? Tried and true, I still rely on Craigslist. Even though Facebook Marketplace is trying to be number one, there are too many scammers. They used to say that about Craigslist, but I think Cragislist is going to make a come-back now that we've seen how bad the scamming action on Facebook can be. There are other places to look for jobs like the SnagaJob app, or Linkeden, but I've only ever gotten a real job from a company website or from Craigslist. So I'm not going to waste my time playing with the other apps or trying to impress nobodies at Linkedin. Linkedin is going to fade out is my theory. It's so outdated and unhelpful. I've never even gotten an interview from that website. Our info just sits there and rots. Pathetic. I say Linkedin is the worst, the other job apps are good, Craigslist is Better, and the BEST is simply to go directly to the company website like Walmart.com.... Careers. That's your best bet when you're looking for a job. Why waste your effort and time with middle men websites and apps that don't care about your effort and time?

I have other internet websites and apps I'd like to review, but I will stop here and continue with those in another article, possibly call it Part Two. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll subscribe to me here at Vocal.media or at least give this article a like/heart.