Where do you want to go today? This is a question asked by the marketing team at Microsoft, by taxi drivers, and by portals.
Portals provide an entry point to the Internet or in the case of e-Commerce sites, portals are doorways to the virtual storefront.
Portals provide a common starting point for customers entering an ecommerce site. For example, a person logging on to
the Dell Computers homepage sees a portal. From this point on, two users of this site are not likely to see the same thing.
One user may be interested in purchasing a home computer, while a small business owner may be interested in purchasing a
group of workstations. At this point, the individual consumer may choose to click the laptop link, while the small
business user explores Dell Desktop Systems in the $800 price range.
Note: The important point here is that portals provide e-shoppers with a doorway
to enter. After entering the doorway, no two shopper's experiences may be the same.
mercycorps.org
The
mercycorps.org website is a wonderful example of how a large body of information can be organized for the end user. Users enter the NetAid site, and based on their personal needs, (i.e., provide a donation, read about world hunger, view archive of concert) link off to their desired Web page.
When it comes to obtaining a somewhat detailed understanding about a
concept or a theory, trying to put together a descriptive
taxonomy[1]
from the perspective of its evolution can be extremely helpful.
This is especially true in the case of portals, because there is so much hype surrounding the concept nowadays. But there is indeed much substance beneath the hype! Since the early days of the Internet, there have been major shifts in technology,
providing users with the means to access on-line information and forms of on-line services over the Web, be it the Internet, intranet, or extranet. This has resulted in a mismatch between the availability of information, and the efficiency and effectiveness of information searching. The primary driving force behind portals was, and to a certain degree continues to be, the goal of eliminating this mismatch by improving search efficiency
(for example, reducing the time it takes for an inquirer to locate relevant information about a specific subject, be it through a single Web site or through a network of distributed, heterogeneous information sources).
[1]taxonomy:1) , a philosophical interpretation, 2) the classification of something, especially organisms.
