Here are five things that everybody should know about. Odds are you already do, but you never know when something slips you by. I’m sure there are a thousand things I have left off this list…but here’s a start.

1) Wikipedia – The greatest online encycopedia in the cosmos. Is free, open-source, and HUGE! As my friend Dave points out, it is also the only encyclopedia that has critiques of its own methods of data collection and potential biases.

2) Firefox - A web browser that has also come out of the free and open-source sharing revolution. Is comparable or better than Internet Explorer and is used by most computer geeks I know.

3) Skype or Google talk – enable you to talk PC to PC anywhere in the world for free. All you need is a microphone and speakers. The quality is basically as good as a mobile phone call.

4) Whirlpool – for Australians, Is a fantastic forum of everything broadband. Why get stuck with Telstra just because you don’t know better. Compares internet service providers (ISPs), give details of plans and coverage, and provides forums for discussing broadband issues. Whirlpool also has forums on PC hardware and software if you ever find yourself in a bind or wish to hear what others say about certain products.

5) Google Earth and Google Maps – Fantastic, what more can be said?!