You’ve probably heard of the website PostSecret. It’s been around for a while now and has developed almost a cult-like following which has spawned books, events and media attention. A regular little business empire.

What’s not always immediately noticed is the business model it follows, which is right in line with social giants Facebook and Myspace. Basically it follows a simple principle that lets it grow exponentially:

Let the users create the content.

Think about this simple math for a minute. Let’s say the average person can create one page of content per day. Theoretically, working every single day one person can create 365 pages in a year. Now, using that same estimate of one page per day think about how many pages can be created if 10 people are generating content. How about 1,000? One million?

You get the point. Even though there are other contributing factors, this one principle is what’s allowed Facebook and Myspace to blow up. Facillitate more, create less. It’s brilliant, really. So brilliant, in fact, that many others are starting to follow the model. Some on the scale of the social networking kings and others narrowing their niche a la PostSecret. Those are the sites I’m focusing on today.

*Today’s collection of links are sites that have found focused niches on the humor surrounding the English language. There are loads of them, in fact (which is surprising and not at the same time), but this edition of Friday Fun Links is only going to list a few of my favorites. I encourage you to comment on some of your favorites I may have missed.

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

If you appreciate tongue-in-cheek type humor, you’ll love this site. The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks is a collection of reader submitted photos and images where quotes were completely misused and/or unnecessary.

The commentary by Brittany, the webmaster, is terrific and the submissions seem to be neverending, which is great news for Brittany and not-so-great news for the future of mankind. There’s something about misguided attempts at intelligence that is both funny and extremely sad at the same time. I can talk about it all day, but until you actually see for your self the site can not be done justice.

On the sidebar you’ll see a list of links to other similar sites, some of which made my list, and others that are really good too, but didn’t fit my theme. They’re all worth a look.

Engrish.com

The next site is Engrish.com. This blog has “politically incorrect” written all over it, especially in its title. And even though part of me does think it’s racially insensitive, it’s so humorous it’s hard not to laugh. I don’t get the impression that it’s intended to be mean spirited, so I gave myself the okay to enjoy it.

The concept is simple: take a sign or package that is written in an Asian language and then translated to English and laugh about how the intended message gets twisted. Going a step further (and this is where it toes the PC line) a moderate amount of fun is poked at the way those with an Asian accent speak English. There are a variety of puns and wisecracks that present themselves during this process and the site does an excellent job of delivering the content.

Passive Aggressive Notes

PassiveAggressiveNotes.com showcases notes from people who have perfected the ability to yell at you without you even realizing you’re being yelled at. If you don’t think that’s a talent, you’re wrong. Covering things from moms leaving letters in their child’s apartment “nicely” telling them they live in filth and to clean it up to calling out the Hot Pocket thief, this site is absolutely hilarious…and scary.

Literally, A Web Log

I’ve subconsciously been terribly annoyed with the rising use and subsequent misuse of the word “literally” (quotes OK there Brittany?). It’s like, um, like totally the new Valley girl term and now that I’ve found this site I’m completely aware of how much I hate it. The site I’m talking about is called Literally, A Web Log.

I included it on my list even though I can’t decide whether I like it or love to punish myself. Either way, I get lost reading through some of the ridiculousness and before I know it an hour has passed…literally. I’ve got more important things that I should be doing like organizing my desktop recycling bin into folders before I empty it and other fun stuff, so I shouldn’t spend so much time agonizing over how other people’s attempts at smart end up making them look stupid, but I just can’t help myself sometimes.

That’s Punny!

I’m a sucker for puns. I appreciate the wit involved in coming up with them and think it’s proof that humans have evolved, despite some of the content on Literally, A Web Log. It gives me hope, I think. Over at That’s Punny! you’ll find a great collection of puns found on signs, storefronts and products. The titles are equally punny and enjoyable as well.

One of the most refreshing parts of this blog, and many others of this sort do the same thing, is the blogroll on the right sidebar that lists “Other Geeky Blogs We Love”. Links to a couple other pun blogs can be found in that list, too. A nice gesture by the site owners to share some link love.

Acronyms Sometimes Suck

The sister site of That’s Punny, Acronyms Sometimes Suck is a collection of unfortunate marketing situations faced by a number of non-profits and specialty organizations. The common scenario, I’m assuming, is the association comes up with a name that sounds really good and covers their main objectives, has the legal paperwork filed making them official, and brings the concept to a marketing firm for logo design. Probably sometime around then they realize that the four letter acronym formed by their official name would make Andrew Dice Clay blush.

Oops.

Rather than spend the money and effort to rebrand their club they decide to tough it out, hoping it won’t be made into a huge issue. Sometimes they may even fly under the radar of most people, but not A.S.S. (that’s an acronym, too!). They find it, and post it on their site for the enjoyment of everyone but the poor company and a bunch of old people. Good stuff.

lowercase L

One of the world’s great mysteries, yet it happens all the time. People love to capitalize all the letters in a word or sentence, but for some bizarre reason, the ‘L’ stays small. Of course the lowercase ‘L’ can easily be confused with an uppercase ‘I’, especially when all the other letters are capitalized. Despite the confusion this causes, people still continue to do it. I’m not sure why, but it fascinates me. And apparently others are intrigued as well because there is a steady flow of content to the lowercase l blog.

That’s all I have for today, but those should keep you pretty busy. There are plenty of laughs in the archives of those sites, too, so be sure to dig around a bit. Oh yeah, don’t forget to add some of your favorite links in the comments below. I know there are other great ones I missed.

What I noticed first was the simplicity of the site. When you log in you’re presented with posters from two different movies. You choose the one you like better and your given two new choices. Choose again and continue on in the same way. Sounds pretty easy, right?

The part we don’t see, and where the true magic of Flickchart happens, is behind the selections. When you choose which movie you like better, the site applies a ranking to it based on your previous selections for that movie and those it’s been compared to. What you get in return is a complete list of your favorite movies. From there you can drill them down by year, genre or decade.

I can talk all about this site, but it is really something that needs to be experienced for yourself. Even as I write this post, I’m going back and forth and making a quick selection. As I said, it’s in Beta stage so you’ll need to apply for a membership. If you’re interested in receiving a referral from me, leave a comment below and fill out the SiteRoast contact form.

I do know that there are millions of “Trekkies” out there who can’t get enough of the series and who have flooded the box office during the past week looking for the newest edition.

So because the demand is there, and as of recently there is an extra dose of supply I did some looking around and found the site that I’d want to know about if Star Trek was my thing.

At Star Trek Wormhole you have access to the ultimate collection of Star Trek websites. This site is rightly named because if you have even the slightest interest in the show/movie, you can get sucked in very quickly.

Basically, it’s a Star Trek website directory, broken down into categories like Fan Sites, Reference Sites, and Shopping. Very cool stuff for nerds..er, I mean, Trekkies.

Despite my lack of interest in the series, I did find Star Trek Wormhole to be very useful. I spent more time than I would like to admit browsing through some of the links, and in doing so learned more Klingon than I’ll ever use.

Still, if you are or ever had been a fan of the show, this is a site that you should take a look at. If someone like me can get something out of it, most fans will enjoy browsing the Star Trek Wormhole.

I doubt anyone has ever had a better understanding of how much humans lack intelligence than George Carlin. His wit and sarcasm would be even funnier if part of us weren’t concerned he might be right. It’s entertainment that keeps us listening and masochism that keeps us laughing.

Anyways, George Carlin was the one to say it, but Overheard in New York decided to prove it. This site is a user-submitted collection of ridiculous conversations that were overheard in NYC (hence the name). I gotta say that this is one of the funniest yet disappointing websites I’ve ever seen.

While reading through some of the posts I started to convince myself that they were made up, in hopes that people weren’t that stupid. It’s my nature to give the human race the benefit of the doubt and consider us intelligent, and I probably always will, despite continuous proof otherwise. Finally, I decided they were probably true simply because I don’t know who could make this stuff up. That and because the editors page says so.

If that’s not a bad enough representation of the human race, those in charge of Overheard in New York decided to expand. And they did. There are now five “Overheard” sites and they’re no more promising for people than OINY (That acronym is short for “Overheard in New York” in case you see it on some sneakers somewhere and don’t know what it means).

If you’re in the mood to feel really good about yourself, here are those other “Overheard” sites.

• Overheard in the Office
• Overheard at the Beach
• Celebrity Wit
• Overheard Everywhere

It’s true. Although reading these sites for 15 minutes will make you start feeling like this guy, the mathematical fact is half of us are more like her. How’s that for a dose of “feel-good-about-yourself”?

Every May this event draws a large crowd, including some very famous celebrities (check out this year’s list of Derby probables.), who spend the day watching races and soaking in the warm Louisville sun.

I’m a huge fan of the Kentucky Derby, and all the ridiculousness of the pomp and circumstance at Churchill Downs only adds to the intrigue. It kind of reminds me of the old college days when even the smallest reason was good enough to throw a party. Who am I to object?

Anyways, because of the excitement and tradition that follows the Kentucky Derby each year, I thought it would be fun to put together a Cool Zone list of some of the best Kentucky Derby sites. I’ve tried to organize them as best as possible, but there will be some unavoidable overlapping I’m sure.

As always, feel free to add any that I’ve missed to the comments.

General Derby Sites

KentuckyDerby.com – the official site for the world’s most famous horse race. Get up to the minute news and odds as well as the best advice for attending the race.

ChurchillDowns.com – the official site for the track that is home to the world’s most famous horse race. Includes info on other races at the track also.

KentuckyDerby.info – a slightly less official Derby site with some great content about the history and traditions that surround the race.

A cool trick that I found that will give you some bonus Kentucky Derby sites is to slightly change the URL for KentuckyDerby.com. When you go to the site it automatically puts “/2009″ at the end of the address in your browser window. If you change the year to one from the past it will bring you to that year’s official Derby page.

The trick works all the way back to the 1999 Kentucky Derby. I thought it was cool how different the site looks from year to year. All the race results are there as well as some of the talk leading up to and after the race. Not groundbreaking stuff, I know, but it’s worth taking a look if you have some time.

Kentucky Derby Traditions

My Old Kentucky Home – the site is pretty ugly and there’s not much to it, but it’s got the complete lyrics and plays the instrumental of the Kentucky Derby’s sentimental theme song. The song plays while the horse’s are led out to post and many in attendance sing along. The rest are buying beers.

KentuckyDerby.com Hat Parade – this link off the official derby page has a small collection of some of the flamboyant hats that are common on race day.

Mint Julep – every year nearly 120,000 mint juleps are served at Churchill Downs over the two days of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. The Mint Julep Wikipedia page has more.

Kentucky Derby Wagering

Bet on the Kentucky Derby – this site has some content designated specifically for betting on the Kentucky Derby. If you can’t get down to Louisville and are interested in placing some off-track bets, this is the place to do it.

Horse Betting Explained – although this site is mostly about poker, I thought its horse betting guide was pretty good. There are other links to betting tips and track info there as well.

More Derby Links

Horse Racing Glossary – you don’t have to look like a fool at the track anymore! This page has a complete glossary of horse racing terms and what they mean. From now on you can step up to the betting counter with confidence.

Churchill Downs on Twitter – follow the Derby updates via the Churchill Downs Twitter feed. While you’re at it, Follow SiteRoast too!

Kentucky Derby Party Links – about 40 links to help you throw the best Kentucky Derby party ever!

If you’ve never watched the Kentucky Derby, I highly suggest you take a look on May 2nd. The sites I listed will help you get a grasp on all the Derby hype. Browse through some or all of them and you’ll see why so many people make such a big deal about it.

A co-worker introduced me to a very funny site today. Texts From Last Night is a running collection of user-submitted content. It’s very simple, really. If one of your knucklehead buddies sent you an amusing text message recently, just go to www.textsfromlastnight.com and enter the conversation. All content is submitted anonymously, so there’s no trail to the individual texter. That’s all there is to it.

I found this site especially amusing because many of the texts contain a clever wit that’s right up my alley. My favorite appropriate text?

“I’m afraid we’re only dating because we’re too lazy to look for anyone else.”

So, if you’ve got any funny texts to contribute, go ahead and upload them now. If you don’t, you still should give the site a look. There’s something for everyone on Texts From Last Night.

As mentioned above, there is some content on the site that’s inappropriate for young readers. Please use discretion when viewing it.

MarvelUniverse.com  has organized all the characters for you. On the site you’ll find a page for each hero and villian, which includes their background story, their affiliations, and any other specific details you’d care to know.

Growing up my brother was always very much into comic books and collecting Marvel trading cards. He could tell you who this hero’s arch enemy was and why they hated each other. So it only makes sense that he’d be the one to point this site out to me.

Ordinarily I’d say that a site like this would be most useful for comic book geeks ( I say geek with the upmost respect, please don’t blow me up with your cosmic laser blasters),  but because of the huge number of Marvel movies being released these days, just about anyone can find the site helpful.

I personally recommend this site for any young lady who’s about to go on a date with a young man and he wants to take her to the movies. Chances are you’ll find the background story about your movie on Marvel Universe.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Internet Movie Database, or IMDB, is one of the premiere websites for news and information on movies and television. Unlike some of it’s competitors, IMDB doesn’t fall into the celebrity gossip trap, though it does offer links to entertainment news websites. Instead, IMDB focuses primarily on news and facts specifically related to movies and TV shows.

The depth of information for each movie is stunning, as each film, both old and new, has a plot synopsis, trailer links, and numerous photos. In addition, the cast list, award summary and release information provides everything you’d want to know about all your favorite movies.

For advanced or industry users, there is a service called IMDBPro that offers inside information on behind the cameras industry news and available work. The membership costs $12.95 per month and offers members contact listings for over 65,000 people, company directories for more than 10,000 industry businesses, production charts for upcoming and in-process projects on film and TV, and many other benefits. SiteRoast isn’t a member of IMDBPro, but at only $12.95 per month it may not be a bad thing for those who work or are hoping to work in the entertainment industry. It should also be noted that IMDBPro offers a free 14-day trial so you can have a look commitment-free.

ABOUT IMDB.COM

The IMDB refers to itself as a “HUGE collection of movie information”. Started as a hobby project, IMDB became so good, and so big, that it couldn’t refuse its own status as a superb film and TV resource. Once it became obvious that IMDB was of use to others, the founding group of movie lovers decided to continue to improve and enhance the site, leading to a wealth of content as well as revenue.

The IMDB staff is spread throughout the U.S. and Europe, many of whom add information from their homes, working around their full-time jobs. The community atmosphere helps users feel welcome when searching such a vast site.

WHAT WE LIKED

The best way to surf, we found, is to click on the browse button just below the navigation bar at the top of the home page. From this page, you can really begin to understand the huge amount of content available on IMDB.com. The facts and trivia page is fun for learning some interesting info on your favorite movies, and the goofs search page provides a collection of continuity and factual errors made when filming.

Additionally, though probably quite obvious by now, we are most impressed with the amount of information presented on popular movies, cult movies, independent films, discontinued television shows, and many other categories that your favorite movie or TV show might fall into. Anything and everything that you’d like to know can probably be found on this site. So, for the most part, if you go to IMDB looking for information on movies and TV, chances are you won’t have to go anywhere else.

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE

We’ll let you decide whether this is a negative thing or not, but the biggest issue we had with IMDB is it’s got so much information on it, that it’s tough to sort through it all. The challenge of knowing what information is available, and where to find it can be a bit overwhelming, but if that’s the worst thing we could say about IMDB then it’s probably not so bad.

THE FINAL WORD

Although best used to settle bets, IMDB can also be fun just looking around. Once you visit the first time it will probably become your default movie trivia resource.

www.imdb.com