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Welcome to Internet in Bloom. Many of you may recall Libraries in Bloom. Internet in Bloom is similar as it is an altruistic column designed to alert readers to the vast wealth of helpful information available to the public for free.

However, Internet in Bloom will differ because it is not a question and answer column. Although, readers are encouraged to send any Web sites they find interesting and feel would benefit our readership. Please keep in mind I get no compensation of any kind from the sites mentioned and multiple sites are listed to avoid even the slightest hint of plagiarism.

Furthermore, please note that the global network of networks, the Internet, contains far more than the World Wide Web network and thus, data protocols such as http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and https (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) may be listed as well and must not be confused. The sites listed must be typed in a precise, case sensitive fashion to be reached. Also note that Web site servers require periodic maintenance and may experience downtime where the sites are unavailable. No columnist or media outlet can be responsible for Web sites that go out of business or change their URL (Uniform Resource Locator) unexpectedly. Some sites may even have multiple URLs.

Moreover, since the year 2000 gas prices have risen from about $33 a barrel to 2008’s over $127 a barrel and are still rising. At the time of this publication, area gas prices are easily flirting with $4.25 a gallon and up. Earlier generations may remember when gas cost pocket change per gallon. www.newyorkgasprices.com is a great idea and part of a larger site called www.gasbuddy.com that offers motorists a range of area fuel prices from lowest to highest in the United States and Canada. All users have to do is enter their city or zip code to access the layperson research. Yes, the prices are submitted from consumers just like you. Thus, you can promote and inform others as you see fit. The site also offers opinion polling and trends. Wireless users can use a site link to download the latest data to their portable devices. Note: Some prices posted may not list specific terms required to receive that price. For example, a car wash purchase may be required. Call the gas station ahead of time to confirm any details.

Consequently, you may not want to pay for gas directly and instead use public transportation. In that case, if you are tired of calculating the fastest public transportation routes using hard copy schedules, traditional transportation company Web sites and word of mouth www.hopstop.com could be just for you. It is a revolutionary database that calculates the fastest public transportation commutes using a combination of bus, subway and regional train routes, for most major city areas. You may choose bus or subway routes or a combination with or without regional trains. The calculations may surprise you. Combination routes are often much faster than bus, subway or regional train routes themselves. www.maps.google.com enables planning of transit trips with multiple cities across the United States and Canada calculating bus, train and walking distances and times for both the destination and return trips.

In closing, as a full-time NYC Librarian and part-time columnist, I am busy but would love to hear from you. Thanks for your ongoing input. See you next column. Please send your questions to: NYLibrarian@yahoo.com or visit http://computersinbloom.8k.com.