Search Engines

Nowadays, The only reason you would use a search engine is to find the link to something you already know exists you when just don’t have the URL (link) memorized or bookmarked.

“surfing” the web with a search engine is no longer a thing, top results are sites specifically engineered with search engine optimization (SEO) to appear in the top results and farm clicks, not because they are actually good.

Large Language Models (AI Chatbots)

An AI Chatbot can be a very powerful tool, you just need to know how its quirks and limitations, treat it as a helper that knows almost everything but doesn’t know exactly what you want, make sure your prompts are as detailed as possible so you can get the most accurate reply.

An LLM can be help you with troubleshooting many technical issues, using various computer software and some basic research, it is NOT helpful with anything that requires an opinion like controversial topics.

An LLM is just fancy autocomplete, it has no opinion on anything even if it may pretend to do so, You can easily trick an LLM into saying what you want intentionally or unintentionally. An LLM can also hallucinate, It will say things that are completely made up not true at all. Therefore, you should never trust an LLM completely without verification.

Most online Chatbot are gonna have some guardrails, they will refuse to provide information on some sensitive topics, you can bypass some of these restrictions if you try and JailBreak the LLM with a special prompt but it still can be a hit or miss.

Indexers and Directories

Actually Good resources and/or slightly specific ones are buried under many layers of internet garbage and have become very hard to find, so there has been a resurgence of website indexers, curated lists of websites made by real people.

The most frequently updated and popular is FMHY, originally a Subreddit focused on piracy but now contains links to resources of pretty much everything, make sure to read their beginners guide and if you feel like something can be improved/added don’t hesitate to contribute.

For other lists and indexers, browse FMHY’s list

Communities and Forums

There are communities for pretty much everything on the internet, and there are many people who are more than happy to help you find what you need, you just need to find the right community.

I would first look for Subreddits on Reddit.com, and Discord servers.

There are also many general and dedicated forum sites to check out

Tips