In the past two decades the World Wide Web has progressed from being a curiosity to nearly being the definition of the Internet experience. Millions of people come to the Web daily to shop, do business, make contacts and more. Here are some of the ideas that have made the Web the force it is today.
- Search engines. When the WWW was new, finding sites was a haphazard experience. Some were reduced to typing theoretical web names and hoping to strike Internet gold. With the establishment of such search engines as Yahoo, Google and Alta Vista, finding information online takes seconds rather than hours.
- Online shopping. With the assistance of secure credit transactions and easy to use online order forms, shopping on the Internet has become simpler in some cases than shopping in a traditional store. Now any retailer larger than a mom-and-pop has a Web presence.
- Social networking. The computer has been used as a social tool since the Internet came into common use. Via social sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Classmates.com, finding acquaintances old and new has become a snap.
- Instant communications. A step up from the slower process of Myspace messaging and the like, sites like Twitter have turbo-charged the communication process, making it even faster and more accessible to contact others online.
- User-created content. People love to create and have their creations displayed to a world audience. YouTube and other user content sites have encouraged an entire new class of entertainers for the masses.
- Blogs. Another version of the user-created content theme. From the zany to the informative to the investigative, blogs provide instant commentary on and insight into almost any conceivable subject.
- Online auctions. Ebay and its competitors give the general public a new way to buy new and used items at a bargain price as well as make money on their unwanted items. A huge selection coupled with thousands of rabid purchasers make this new market robust.
- Online investing. E-Trade, Scottrade and other online investment companies have made stock and bond trading available to the masses. Now anyone with a few hundred dollars and a dream can participate in the world economy.
- Customized content. Home pages on Yahoo, Google and others offer individuals the chance to make their own page, complete with weather updates for their area, sports scores, stock quotes and much more. Now the news can come to the user.
- Online dating. A wide variety of dating sites have made it possible for singles to connect around the globe. There are sites that cater to most niches and locales.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Teeheeh nice!