Computers Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. Today, with home computers andmodems becoming faster and cheaper, the home front is on the break of a newfrontier of on line information and data processing.
The Internet, the ARPANET(Advanced Research Programs Agency Network) spinoff is a channel ofuninterrupted information interchange. It allows people to connect to largecomputer databases that can store valuable information on goods and services. The Internet is quickly becoming a tool for vast data interchange for more thantwenty million Americans. New tools are allowing Internet presence an easiertask. As did the gold miners set out to California on carriages to staketheir claim in the gold rush, business and entrepreneurs are rushing to staketheir claim on the information superhighway through Gopher sites, World-Wide Websites, and electronic mailing lists. This article explains how businesses andentrepreneurs are setting up information services on the Internet that allowsusers to browse through picture catalogues, specification lists, and up to theminute reports.
Ever since Sears Roebuck created the first pictorial catalogue, theidea has fascinated US that merchandises could be selected and ordered in ourleisure time. Like any cataloging system, references make it easy to find whatuser seeks. Since its inception, The Internet has been refining its searchtools. Being able to find products through many catalogues is what make theInternet shine in information retrieval.
This helps the consumer findmerchandise that they might other wise probably cannot find. The World Wide Weballows users to find information on goods and services, pictures of products,samples of music (Used by record Companies), short videos showing the product orservice, and samples of programs. Although a consumer cannot order directly fromthe Web site, the business will often give a Voice telephone number or an orderform that costumer can print out and send out through the mail. Although web sites have the magazine like appeal, storing largeamounts of textual data is often difficult. Gopher (like go-for) is set up likea filing cabinet to allow the user more flexibility in retrieval.
Gopher issimilar to the white/yellow pages in the way information is retrieved word forword. They are also a lot cheaper and easier to set up which allows smallbusiness an easy way to set up shop. Consumers can find reviews, tech-info, andother bits and pieces of information. Each person who uses the Internet has an identification that sets themapart from everyone else. Often called handles (from the old short wave radiodays).
Electronic mail addresses allow information exchange from user to user. Business can take advantage of this by sending current information to manyusers. A user must first subscribe to the mailing list. Then the computer addsthem to the update list. Usually, companies will send out a monthly update.
Thisinforms users of upgrades in their products (usually software), refinements(new hardware drivers, faster code, bug fixes, etc. ), new products, questionbulletins where subscribers can post questions and answers, and links(addresses) to sites where new company information can be found. Comments and OpinionsThis article pointed out the key information that anyone who isinterested in representing their company on the Internet might find useful. Itthen went into explaining the few key elements that comprise the complete andever expanding system. It was also a fair lead way for the programs that theyexplained in the next articles on software used to create web pages, E-maillists, Gopher sites and FTP (similar to Gopher). It showed the expanse at whichthe Internet was growing, and the use it could serve businesses to expand theiruser outreach.
I have personally used these services to find business that sell hard tofind products. Through the world wide web I have found specialty companies thatI believe I would not have found. The article showed essentials of web savvysuch as the availability of video and sound (music) files. For this consumer Ican say that I have purchased at least two compact disks after hearing theshort sample released by the record companies. The video clips are eyecatching and may influence people to buy the companies products.
I was disappointed in the information on Gopher. It mainly showed thedifferences between it and the world wide web, instead of explaining what it is. It also made an irrelevant reference to UNIX (Text based operating system usedon expert systems) books’ search and HTTP (the language that the World Wide Webreads) cross referencing might mislead the reader. Gopher is a very powerfultool that businesses with an on-line presence and information worth readingshould be aware. The business related information on electronic mailing lists didnothing other then point out a few groups available.
It briefly touchedintelligent agents, which are the backbone of E-mail publications. Although itwas detailed in publications, there was little theory of operation that abusiness looking into this route of information distribution might find of use. It did however explain the addressing system. Overall this article was decent in the overview of the business use ofthe Internet. It pointed out the three major areas that companies are racing tosettle.
It gave many useful information on the World-Wide Web, which iscurrently the business magnet. Reading this is article is a foot in the rightdirection for any business seeking to have an on-line presence. Technology
