2. The Internet as a Chaotic LibraryA. The Problem of Cataloguing
The Internet is an assortment of billions of pages which contain information. Some of them are visible and others are generated from hidden databases by users' requests ("Invisible Internet").
The Internet exhibits no discernible order, classification, or categorization. Amazingly, as opposed to "classical" libraries, no one has yet invented a (sorely needed) Internet cataloguing standard (remember Dewey?). Some sites indeed apply
Dewey Decimal System to their contents (Suite101). Others default to a directory structure (Open Directory, Yahoo!, Look Smart and others).
Had such a standard existed (an agreed upon numerical cataloguing method) - each site could have self-classified. Sites would have an interest to do so to increase their visibility. This, naturally, would have eliminated need for today's clunky, incomplete and (highly) inefficient search engines.
Thus, a site whose number starts with 900 will be immediately identified as dealing with history and multiple classification will be encouraged to allow finer cross-sections to emerge. An example of such an emerging technology of "self classification" and "self-publication" (though limited to scholarly resources) is "Academic Resource Channel" by Scindex.
Moreover, users will not be required to remember reams of numbers. Future browsers will be akin to catalogues, very much like applications used in modern day libraries. Compare this utopia to current dystopy. Users struggle with mounds of irrelevant material to finally reach a partial and disappointing destination. At same time, there likely are web sites which exactly match poor user's needs. Yet, what currently determines chances of a happy encounter between user and content - are whims of specific search engine used and things like meta-tags, headlines, a fee paid, or right opening sentences.
B. Screen vs. Page
The computer screen, because of physical limitations (size, fact that it has to be scrolled) fails to effectively compete with printed page. The latter is still most ingenious medium yet invented for storage and release of textual information. Granted: a computer screen is better at highlighting discrete units of information. So, these differing capacities draw battle lines: structures (printed pages) versus units (screen), continuous and easily reversible (print) versus discrete (screen).
The solution lies in finding an efficient way to translate computer screens to printed matter. It is hard to believe, but no such thing exists. Computer screens are still hostile to off-line printing. In other words: if a user copies information from Internet to his word processor (or vice versa, for that matter) - he ends up with a fragmented, garbage-filled and non-aesthetic document.
Very few site developers try to do something about it - even fewer succeed.
C. Dynamic vs. Static Interactions
One of biggest mistakes of content suppliers is that they do not provide a "static-dynamic interaction".
Internet-based content can now easily interact with other media (e.g., CD-ROMs) and with non-PC platforms (PDA's, mobile phones).
Examples abound:
A CD-ROM shopping catalogue interacts with a Web site to allow user to order a product. The catalogue could also be updated through site (as is practice with CD-ROM encyclopedias). The advantages of CD-ROM are clear: very fast access time (dozens of times faster than access to a Web site using a dial up connection) and a data storage capacity hundreds of times bigger than average Web page.
Another example:
A PDA plug-in disposable chip containing hundreds of advertisements or a "yellow pages". The consumer selects ad or entry that she wants to see and connects to Internet to view a relevant video. She could then also have an interactive chat (or a conference) with a salesperson, receive information about company, about ad, about advertising agency which created ad - and so on.
CD-ROM based encyclopedias (such as Britannica, or Encarta) already contain hyperlinks which carry user to sites selected by an Editorial Board.
Note
CD-ROMs are probably a doomed medium. Storage capacity continually increases exponentially and, within a year, desktops with 80 Gb hard disks will be a common sight. Moreover, much heralded Network Computer - stripped down version of personal computer - will put at disposal of average user terabytes in storage capacity and processing power of a supercomputer. What separates computer users from this utopia is communication bandwidth. With introduction of radio and satellite broadband services, DSL and ADSL, cable modems coupled with advanced compression standards - video (on demand), audio and data will be available speedily and plentifully.
The CD-ROM, on other hand, is not mobile. It requires installation and utilization of sophisticated hardware and software. This is no user friendly push technology. It is nerd-oriented. As a result, CD-ROMs are not an immediate medium. There is a long time lapse between moment of purchase and moment user accesses data. Compare this to a book or a magazine. Data in these oldest of media is instantly available to user and they allow for easy and accurate "back" and "forward" functions.
Perhaps biggest mistake of CD-ROM manufacturers has been their inability to offer an integrated hardware and software package. CD-ROMs are not compact. A Walkman is a compact hardware-cum-software package. It is easily transportable, it is thin, it contains numerous, user-friendly, sophisticated functions, it provides immediate access to data. So does discman, or MP3-man, or new generation of e-books (e.g., E-Ink's). This cannot be said about CD-ROM. By tying its future to obsolete concept of stand-alone, expensive, inefficient and technologically unreliable personal computers - CD-ROMs have sentenced themselves to oblivion (with possible exception of reference material).
