Re: UKNM: Re: Portals?

[Aidan Cook]

> The word "directories" in the list above are bookmarks. Last time I checked

> my bookmarks they weren't giving me personalised news, letting me chat to

> friends, or suggesting things I might like to buy depending on what I'm

> reading.


Okay, but as so many individual sites provide these services anyway, you

can see what I mean about bookmarks being an easy alternative to finding a

portal site that actually fits your personal needs precisely. 


Just looking at my bookmarks, I've got my favourite second-hand record

store, some realaudio sites I like to listen to, Amazon, ZDnet, Leeds

United, Hotmail, CNN, MR. Slappy's punishment dungeon, the usual stuff. 

I can bookmark sites which I have already set my preferences for, and get

the personalised content I'm after. 


I agree that there are many, many folk out there who will never sort out

and actually use their bookmarks, but I think there's a fair overlap with

people who won't use/find portals, or who wouldn't dream of being as

pro-active as to install a plug-in. I think these are probably the same

people who will look at the front page of yahoo and never touch any of the

news/weather/stock quotes/anything else but the search.


> happy to use it as a base, at least until they realise what else is out

> there and maybe settle on a few favourite sites which they don't need a

> portal to find.


...and then bookmark them? (joke)


> I don't mean to stand up for portals, or claim they are The Future, I'm

> just trying to define what I thought was an easily definable word.

> Obviously it isn't if it causes such confusion.


And in the same way, I'm not trying to dismiss them either (I think I'm

less confused, but willing to be told I'm getting worse).


Its always going to be personal preferences isn't it? - I'll use

bookmarks, until I find a portal which perfectly fits my needs; someone

else will use a portal unless/until they decide they can find the info

themselves. Whether a portal can be developed which attracts enough people

of similar needs to justify the cost of production is a question to be

asked project by project. This is sort of why I mentioned iii.co.uk, as I

think its an example of what might be called a 'sector-specific portal'

(or SSP - sorry).


Maybe I should bookmark my work & recreational portals for easy access to

different bits of my life...



Ah well, have a nice weekend.


Aidan

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