It used to be that every web site specialized in one
thing or another. It would be a search site, or a free web space
service, or another information source. Then came the concept of a
PORTAL. Now, as soon as any site can grow large enough, they
add a news service, a search service, free email & web space, as well
as a horoscope, weather, e-commerce, and stock quotes. Portals are
basically limited to the multi-million dollar web sites. They require
joint ventures with news services and others to fill-in the features
the original site lacked. The mission is to become the main stop on
the web for surfers.
The main portals are advertised on TV and featured on Wall Street.
Yet, new ones are forming all the time. Mostly, they form from
Internet search sites, but they can be centered around other core
businesses.
The main portals are:
GO NETWORK - owned by Disney /
ABC
SNAP.COM - owned by GE / NBC
- has a great local news feature that brings you weather, news, and
telephone book of any size town and city.
YAHOO! - the grandaddy of
portals where the outline of information goes on endlessly.
EXCITE! - one of the
first that personalizes your page. News has become front and center.
New features like a photo gallery are always being added.
GO2Net - discussion
groups, particularly from Siliconinvestor.com, are central. Great
place for day traders to start.
GoTo.Com is not to be
confused with Go2Net or Go.com. It was first, but lacks the money and
design to become a major portal. Hope they can come around.
See the FREE WEB SPACE page for more
portals.
There are a number of NEW Search Sites popping up, all sure to
become portals themselves. Some of the most promising ones are:
TOPCLICK:
A new Canadian search site which allows you to search a bunch of
different search services at the same time. Go here to see a list
of the major search services.
ISLEUTH: new search
engine portal. Many people like the feel of this
style of search. Uses other search engines and has lots of
e-commerce and subject lists.
The Mining Co.
a New York City site that offers guides to the web. These
guides are real people who try to keep you up on certain
subjects, not all of which are standard.
MatchSITE
a search site with e-commerce as its feature. Tries to
find you a place on the web to buy things
WEBData
Search via databases. Maybe
GOOGLE.COM
new & different, still in beta version. Tries to anticipate the most
likely site you are trying to find.
