One trick Web ponies are in

I’m seeing a number of Web sites pop up that do exactly one thing. They are often an off-shoot of another site. The one trick ponies focus in on the single thing they do, probably in an effort to get people like me to link to them.

Rentometer gets your zip code, rent, and simple information about your apartment and tells you whether you’re paying too much or too little. The chart I’ve included shows why I’m not a home owner. The orange needle represents the median mortgage payment.

This is put together by an outfit that sells property management software. So, this tool might be of more use to somebody wanting to set a rental price.

Tom found the Global Rich List, a site that shows where your salary ranks compared to the rest of the world. Hint: you are very rich. The example above shows the US poverty level (just shy of $10k / year).

This is made by a Web design firm in London. The organization they recommend people support is Care International. I’ve been approached on the streets of Portland a kabillion times by Care and I’ve never been as open to helping them out as I am now. It’s the soft sell.

But it’s also the simplicity of their approach. There is minimal navigation and both of these are extremely interactive. I put in some stuff and it shoots out an answer just for me.