Best Websites for When You Are Bored

A study done by Dr. Brent Coker at the University of Melbourne found that 80% of workers do what he calls "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing", or WILB. I admit that I partake in WILB from time to time (I may or may not be writing this at work...) but that high percentage shocked me. However, Coker goes on to say that a worker who spends 20% (or less) of their workday browsing the web is more productive than those who don't. So, with that in mind here are some great websites to waste (part of) your day on.

CRACKED

Type: Humor

Updated: Daily

Description: Cracked.com is the internet version of the former Cracked Magazine. Four or five new posts are made each day, the majority being articles (often in list form) and videos. Topics often relate to pop culture, history, music, and technology. Cracked also hosts several "Photoplasty" contests each week where readers submit Photoshops based on a given topic.

Beware: After reading an article if you find yourself wanting even more entertainment, scroll down to the comments section and observe the keyboard warriors in all their glory, just try not to engage or encourage them.

TUMBLR

Type: Blog

Updated: Constantly

Description: At the time of writing, tumblr has over 46.2 million blogs. No matter what you are interested in you can find a blog that caters to it. In order to like and reblog posts you have to sign up for the website but be warned, it is very addictive.

Beware: The preteen bloggers who post about how much their lives suck because mom won't drive them to the mall. Avoid them at all cost.

ETSY

Type: Shopping

Updated: Constantly

Description: For the love of all things crafty! I adore this website. Everything is handmade or vintage and you get a nice shopping experience by interacting directly with the seller. There are thousands and thousands of shops selling all sorts of goods you can imagine.

Beware: If you are anything like me, not only will you spend a lot of time on this site, but also a lot of money.

I WASTE SO MUCH TIME

Type: Photo Blog

Updated: Daily (probably at least hourly but don't hold me to that)

Description: The name says it all. If you ever feel like leaning back, relaxing, and looking at some cute/funny/awesome pictures (and a few videos) that click on over to this site. It also has a feature where you can rate the pictures as "awesome", "what the what?", and "boring".

Beware: Again, you will waste a lot of time here. There is also the risk of laughing out loud at a funny post. Try to stifle it, please.

THE CHIVE/THE BERRY

Type: Mostly humor with a random assortment of all else.

Updated: Daily

Description: The Chive is geared more towards men, while The Berry is for women. Both sites post things each sex would enjoy so: sexy women/sexy men, how to build stuff/how to cook stuff. I swear it's not as sexist as it sounds...at least I'm a woman who enjoys both sites.

Beware: Some not suitable for work content but it usually has a warning.

STUMBLE UPON

Type: Okay, okay, I know this isn't exactly its own site per se. If I had to label it I would say its somewhat of a search engine.

Updated: Constantly, not that you will ever get through all the content anyway.

Description: StumbleUpon serves as a "search engine" where you select your interests from a broad list, hit "Stumble", and are shown a random website. It's that easy. You can also share sites with your friends, review sites, and add your own. It is also available on smartphones for mobile stumbling.

Beware: Be prepared to spend a LOT of time stumbling. It's very addictive. I believe I have somewhere around 5,000 "liked" pages by now...

Honestly I could go on listing sites for a while (I spend way too much time on the internet)...but I'll leave it with these six of my favorites. So go forth and surf the net! (Especially now that you can use increased productivity as an excuse!)