Ideas and Concepts - about the WEB
(1) The Information Highway metaphor -
The web is a like a wide band, multi-media telephone line.
You can call anywhere in the world to get information and it is free.
After each earthquake, the phone lines are always jammed.
It is a perfect time to use email to relay message and to get news out.
(2) The mega cable TV metaphor -
The web is a cable TV system with infinite numbers of channel selection.
The user selects the subject and the time to make contact.
(3) The global library system -
Here is an archive of all the information around the whole world,
connected by hyperlinks with instant update 24 hours a day.
(4) ISP as a remote backup vault -
It is getting to the point that the ISP storage is much more reliable
than my home PC. When I pay for my ISP, I get professional service and
reliable retrieval from anywhere. My home PC suffers from equipment
breakdown and hardware migration problems. I put important writing and
family photo album at the ISP for safe keeping.
(5) I think everyone who puts up a webpage should have a favorite links page.
This is a stamp of approval and a collection of useful information as
judged by this individual. Good commentary and an index will be even
more helpful. We are flooded with information, some guidance from
another user is such a blessing.
(6) To put up good ideas and concept on the WEB is one of the best gifts we
can offer to the world. This is the kind of gift that is inexhaustible.
It forms a bond, and we are promoting the intelligence of the community.
(7) I like to give and receive constructive criticism.
It is like giving light to the blind. Sometimes one word can make us
see, make us think in a totally new direction.
I am forever thankful to the people who helped me over the barriers,
overcome the road blocks. Let's share ideas, let's grow together.
(8) Don't write anything unless we have a message: an unique idea that
we really want to share. We are telling a story that a 5 year old can
enjoy. Think clear thoughts and write with passion.
Develop the idea so that it is alive, fascinating and irresistable.
It is safer to write short sentences and use as few words as possible.
Go back and read my old writing after 3 months and after a year.
Think of the questions that are asked. Think of what the readers get
confused about. Is there a way to say the same thing in less words.
There may be another twist on this idea. If I have to choose, which
paragraph will I strike out ?
(9) Photo Encyclopaedia - We live in an image rich world. In another
5 years, everyone will have a digital camera and rare moments of people
and nature will be captured by kids and amauter. This is a living
record and changes from day to day. As an example, all the bird watchers
in North America will have a public exhibit. I like to see a native
plants exhibit. Best tomato and pumpkin collection, etc.
(10) Remote surveillance - the webcam can already deliver live pictures
from daycare centers for working mother to check on the toddlers. One day,
anything interesting can be visually monitored. The Panda Cam brings
us closer to the life of this endangered animal. The BigFoot Cam let us
potentially watch all the hilltop and valleys. I think the ideal images
are the North Lights and the sunsets.
(11) Global Swapmeet (flea market) - the Internet Auction is a way to find
the equilibrium between the sellers and buys in a global marketplace.
It seems to be useful if you want to test market something and find out
the demand out there. This is also a way for anyone to do mail order
business without printing a catalog. When there are enough people engaged
in the exchange, the seller can get the best price. This is the ultimate
peer-to-peer trading with no middleman. The savings from less layers of
distributor is offset in part by the increase in shipping cost. According
to Steven, the rare collector's items do the best. The commodity things
tends to get beaten down. Next time I want to buy a digital camera,
it behooves me to check the Internet Auction prices.
(12) Global Collective Computing - A large problem is parcelled into independent
units. These blocks are send to idle computers on the Internet and computed
while the screen saver is up. The results are send back to the central
computer by email. The computation blocks are detached and asynchronous.
Even design problems can be farmed out to different artists and architects
this way. The central computer collects all the blocks and coordinates the
the shared database.
(13) Internet Grocery - I have not realize how useful this can be to a 90-year old
lady who does not have a computer. So this is how it works. The account is
opened in the credit card and name of the person who does not have the
computer. His/her son lives across the country and talks to her everyday in
Chinese. So the son can sign onto the Internet and get local delivery to the
person who really does not have a car and cannot drive. This is also true of
companies that ship nationwide with UPS, such as Barnes and Noble. It seem
the critical part is that you need someone you can trust with your credit card.
Then the distance, the shipping the language and computerless will not be a
problem.
