The general reference reader-edited online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has spawned niche sites based on the same model and design. I stumbled on the domain directory wiki, AboutUs, which is self described as the “free directory about every domain in the world that anyone can edit.” This may be an advantageous supplement to your favorite domain whois.

And there’s a wiki for news junkies.WikiNews is similar to Newsvine, a participatory site that collects current news from readers and the major outlets.

Public libraries are a free source of periodicals and proprietary databases, many of which can be searched remotely. In Questions? - Answers from the Internet I included links to a list of public library Web sites and a real-time research librarian service. There are also online reference sites for specific regions. If you have a Connecticut library card you can make use of the 24/7 infoAnyTime, an online chat tool that connects you to a reference librarian. An added benefit of infoAnyTime is real-time Web co-browsing, enabling a researcher to guide you through your Internet search.

See a list of many of the virtual reference services available in the United States and internationally.

Legal journals and genealogical databases are a few of the many computerized resources offered by public libraries.

ePodunk is a commercial site of geographical place information drawn from government generated and commercial sources. A search by state and current or historical place name returns a large collection of links to local information, resources and statistics. Identify cemeteries, newspapers, companies, government offices and organizations, and data demographics.