Chapter 5: Can we possibly get MORE out of the Internet??

The internet is stocked FULL of information from various sources.  In my honest opinion, I would have to say there isn’t anything out there that a person could not look up on the internet.  The internet is broken down into what is known as “portals”.  In our Chapter 2 reading, we learned that a portal is “a special type of Web site that offers a doorway to a cast range of content and services.” 

Consumer portals offer content such as news, search tools, weather, sports, shopping, reference tools and links to an e-mail account.  Because this type of portal appeals to a very large audience of people, this is the most common portal used.  Personal portals are customized by the user.  You can create a portal that will meet your specific needs and give you the information you pursue on a daily basis, right at your fingertips.  My Yahoo! and My MSN are just two examples of internet portals that allow you to customize them to fit your needs.   Vertical portals (also known as “vortals”) and Industry portals provide the user with more specific interests with ways to access data. 

Have you ever heard of a “sticky web site”?  I never heard of one until I read Chapter 5.  A “sticky web site” is one which is visited often and browsed for long periods of time by the user.  These web sites are often interactive with the user, allowing them to contact staff, leave comments on stories, and may even offer the user the opportunity to sign up for an e-mailing list. 

I would have to say that my favorite thing to do on the internet is to go to YouTube and watch music videos, movie trailers and funny commercials.  Streaming media is one of the many ways that users can enjoy the internet.  Many portals have audio/video content that allows the user to watch a clip from a newscast, listen to a song, listen to a commercial or watch a movie trailer. 

Many would argue that one of the greatest things about the internet is the ease at which you can pay bills, access your financial data and balance your bank account.  I say that many would argue this because there are many people who are very skeptical about giving out any of their financial information via the internet.  Though it may be easy, cost efficient and time efficient to go online to pay bills and balance a check book, most people do not trust the security.