Experts & How-To

Ask questions, follow step-by-step instructions, or learn from online tutorials in all kinds of subjects by using these sites.

Resources in this category:

About.com
http://www.about.com/

About.com hosts websites whose content and links are created and/or selected by hundreds of "Guides," experts who provide articles, advice, and resources on a particular subject. Search by broad channels or more specific topics.

Allexperts.com
http://www.allexperts.com/

A directory of experts in the areas of television, music, legal, medical, software, cars, sports, love & romance, and miscellaneous subjects who have volunteered to answer e-mail questions in their subject of expertise. Click on a subject area and you'll get a list of volunteers in that area, which includes notes on each person's specific area of interest, along with a link to an e-mail form. Level of expertise will vary since volunteers are only required to have "an above-average level of knowledge of the subject." The site requires a java-enabled browser.

Animated Knots by Grog
http://www.animatedknots.com/

Animated pictures and written instructions for tying boating, fishing, climbing, and other types of knots. Each section includes a description of common uses for the illustrated knots.

Custom Guide: Free Quick References
http://www.customguide.com/quick_references.htm

This site provides quick access to training materials and quick references to a number of software products, particularly Microsoft products. These quick reference files can act as cheat sheets while using a particular product.

eHow
http://www.ehow.com/

"eHow.com is the most comprehensive source of information on how to do things, offering thousands of specific project instructions...With 14 categories featuring 120 subcategories, eHow offers staff-written, reviewed and edited step-by-step solutions."

Expert Village
http://www.expertvillage.com/

Site hosts free instructional videos by a series of experts on a variety of topics, all of which are searchable by keywords or categories. All videos and experts are pre-screened for authority by the site management.

Food Timeline: Food History Research Tips
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaqa.html

Helpful advice and tips about how to conduct research on particular foods. Includes a list of "Tools of the Trade" and a glossary.

How Products Are Made
http://www.madehow.com/

Ever wonder how products are made? Come to this site and learn about the manufacture of things as diverse as chewing gum, blue jeans, vacuum cleaners, paint, fireworks, refrigerators, and artificial snow. This online encyclopedia contains 7 volumes of different items.

How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Have you ever wondered how a car engine works? This site answers questions about the way all kinds of things work-- from refrigerators to computers to the human body.

How Things Work
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48486

Are you curious about how machines, computers, and other technologies around us work? Do you just have to know how water gets to the 100th floor of an apartment building? If you do, then this IPL pathfinder will help you find the print and Internet resources that can answer these questions.

How To Guides for Starting and Running a Business
http://www.entrepreneur.com/howto/index.html

Resources on starting a business, money, management, marketing, sales, advertising, human resources, and technology from Entrepreneur.com.

HowToCleanAnything.Com
http://www.howtocleananything.com/

"[A] comprehensive collection of information, compiled by industry professionals, that seeks to provide the best quality" information on household cleaning methods. Information arranged by house exterior, interior, pets, auto, recreation, and stains. Includes glossary of cleaning terms and articles about topics submitted by readers. Six experts affiliated with the site take e-mail questions from the general public; they are professionals in carpet, janitorial, pets, chemicals, clothing, and computer cleaning.

I Will Knot
http://www.iwillknot.com/

Discover how to tie twelve different knots, including stopper knots, hitches, loops, and bends. Easy step-by-step instructions are provided.

Kitchen Table Computers
http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/

Here is an illustrated, step-by-step guide in simple language to help you build your own do-it-yourself computer. Use the resources and information here to build your own pc. Check out the tools, components, software, assembly, and more. Our goals are to present an illustrated, step-by-step guide that presents basic information in simple language to help make your do-it-yourself computer-building project as enjoyable, educational, and rewarding as it can be.

Learn2.Com
http://www.tutorials.com/fd/tutorials.asp

While this site has expanded to offer computer-related online tutorials for sale, their Free Learning area still has hundreds of illustrated tutorials on how to do things that are useful in daily living, from how to poach an egg to how to avoid junk mail to how to remove a tick. The tutorials can be searched or browsed by broad subject category. New tutorials are added each week.

One Minute How-To
http://oneminutehowto.com/

Got a minute to learn something new? Then visit this website! Participants are all challenged to give 60 second lessons on any topic they choose while the webmaster's camera rolls. Fun and informative!

Pointy Haired Dilbert: Learn Excel and Charting Online
http://chandoo.org/wp/

Tutorials, tips, and how-to advice on creating spreadsheets, charts, and other visuals in Microsoft Excel. Offers formulas and free templates for downloads, along with examples that are clearly explained and illustrated.

Researching Companies Online
http://www.learnwebskills.com/company/

This website provides methods for obtaining "company and industry information" on the Internet.

SoYouWanna.Com
http://www.soyouwanna.com

SoYouWanna.Com provides step-by-step advice for doing everything from joining the CIA to converting to Buddhism. The writing style can be humorous, but the advice is real.

The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/

"The official Internet home of Cecil Adams, World's Smartest Human Being, and his famous syndicated column The Straight Dope". With searchable online archives of the column, this site is an excellent reference tool for finding answers to "just curious" type questions like "Why are races always run in a counterclockwise direction?" and "Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?".

The Virtual Chase
http://www.virtualchase.com/

This site will only be active until May, 2009. Until then it offers advice on how to conduct legal research. It is aimed at lawyers and others with a legal background.

The Wood Whisperer TV: Woodworking Videos
http://thewoodwhisperer.tv/

Great for the new and experienced woodworker! Includes traditional woodworking projects as well as advice on selecting and maintaining tools and shop safety.