Topic 2 - Navigating the Web

What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search?

Point 1:

Search is still in its infancy. Users don’t know how to use search properly in such as way as to help narrow their search to more accurately find what they are looking for

Point 2:

Search is essentially a database that only holds a small amount of information compared to how much information is really available.

Point 3:

The search protocol and how users use it to search for something in particular.

Point 4:

Search is a ranking algorithm that determines how the results are presented to the user.

Watch or read the Marissa Mayer interview. Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business. There are no right or wrong answers here, I just want your opinion.

Search, according to Marissa Mayer is still in it infancy. This could be problematic for a business wanting to trade in an electronic environment. How do consumers, suppliers etc. find them and the products or services they are offering? If the business can’t be found or found easily, the business will fail.

Privacy on the internet can be a huge issue. Businesses have to be clear about what sort of information they know and keep on their customers, eg. Email addresses, credit card details etc. This ‘transparency’ gives the consumer a choice about whether they want to do business with an organisation knowing they will have to give up a certain amount of ‘private information’.


Please watch the Bill Joy video, and it will give you a good background to the Internet and particularly to the emergence of the World Wide Web.

So what are the 6 webs?

The Near Web – is defined by information and being able to access this information using mobile devices…Bill also refers to it as the ‘typing style’.

The Here Web – is focused on the mobility of the internet and with you wherever you go…also referred to as the ‘pocket style’.

The Far Web – relates to technology that we sit back and use. Ie. radio, HD television and gaming machines such as Xbox and Playstation. Also referred to as the ‘sit back style’.

The Weird Web – known as the ‘voice style’, is focused on voice recognition to use with pocket style devices and also possibly household items.

B2B – Business computers talking to each other the enable to streamlining of business processes.

D2D – Device to device – using devices all connected to each other to provide real time information and connectivity to users.

Could there be more?

Perhaps not right now, but in the future as technology develops further and as user needs change, there could be room for more.


What does it mean for business?

All 6 different types of ‘webs’ could have a huge impact on business who are ‘brave’ enough to venture into an ‘electronic’ environment.From streamlining every day processes (such as placing orders), could not only save great amounts of money, but also ‘free up’ employees to work on more onerous tasks and in other areas where their talents could be better utilised, thus making the business more productive.