Web Portal Gateways

2011 ◽  
pp. 1217-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Tatnall
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Portal ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Base Site ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Web

The term Web portal is overused and takes on a different meaning depending on the view of the author. This article will investigate the concept of a portal, the various types of portal, and how portals are currently being used. A Yahoo search of the Web in February 2004 revealed 85 million entries for the word portal, and even allowing for a considerable degree of overuse and overlap, portals are seen everywhere and span a bewildering range of topics and interest areas. It would be difficult to make any use of the Web without encountering one. In general terms, unrelated to the World Wide Web, the Macquarie Dictionary defines a portal as “a door, gate or entrance” (Macquarie Library, 1981, p. 1346). More specifically, a Web portal is seen as a special Internet (or intranet) site designed to act as a gateway to give access to other sites (Tatnall 2005a). A portal aggregates information from multiple sources and makes that information available to various users. In other words a portal is an all-in-one Web site whose prime purpose is to find, and to gain access to other sites, but also one that provides the services of a guide that can help to protect the user from the chaos of the Internet and direct them towards an eventual goal. More generally, however, a portal should be seen as providing a gateway, not just to sites on the Web, but to all network-accessible resources, whether involving intranets, extranets, or the Internet. In other words a portal offers centralised access to all relevant content and applications (Tatnall 2005b). Historically, the Web-portal concept probably developed out of search engine sites such as Yahoo!, Excite, and Lycos, which can now be classified as first-generation portals. These sites, however, quickly evolved into sites providing additional services such as e-mail, stock quotes, news, and community building rather than just search capabilities (Rao 2001). Eckerson (1999) outlines four generations of portals whose focus, in each case, is: generic, personalised, application, and role. The success of a portal depends on its ability to provide a base-site that users will keep returning to after accessing other related sites. As an entranceway onto the Web (or an intranet) it should be a preferred starting point for many of the things that a particular user wants to do there. A useful goal for those setting up a portal is to have it designated by many users as their browser start-up page.

Web Portal Research Issues

2011 ◽  
pp. 4064-4069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Tatnall
Keyword(s):  
The Internet ◽  
Web Portal ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Aggregate Information ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Gain Access ◽  
Or Gate ◽  
The Web

In general terms, a portal can be seen as “a door, gate or entrance” (Macquarie Library, 1981), and in its simplest form the word just means a gateway; however, it is often a gateway to somewhere other than just to the next room or street. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines a portal as “a doorway or gate etc, especially a large and elaborate one” (Pearsall & Trumble, 1996). In the context of this article, a Web portal is considered to be a special Internet (or intranet) site designed to act as a gateway to give access to other specific sites. A Web portal can be said to aggregate information from multiple sources and make this information available to various users (Tatnall, 2005c). It consists of a Web site that can be used to find and gain access to other sites, but also to provide the services of a guide that can help to protect the user from the chaos of the Internet and direct him or her toward a specific goal. More generally, however, a portal should be seen as providing a gateway not just to sites on the Web, but to all network-accessible resources, whether involving intranets, extranets, or the Internet. In other words, a portal offers centralised access to all relevant content and applications.

Digital Rights Protection Management of Web Portals Content

2011 ◽  
pp. 256-263
Author(s):  
Theodoros Evdoridis
Keyword(s):  
Access Point ◽  
Information Services ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Portals ◽  
Web Portal ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Digital Rights ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
Internet Information ◽  
The Web

Without doubt one of the most important factors that contributed to the wide acceptance and popularity of Web portals is the potential for users to access a broad spectrum of information from a single access point, the Web portal itself. A Web portal, in such a way, aggregates information from multiple sources and makes that information available to various users. Regardless of whether the offered assets are hosted within the Web portal or whether the latter serves as a gateway to information services and resources located on the rest of the Internet, a Web portal is simultaneously an all-in-one Web site and a browsing guide to all available Internet information worldwide. Even though there is no definite taxonomy of portals, relevant labels such as government, community, enterprise, general and others are offered aiming at defining the Web portal with respect to its content and its target group. Summarizing, it could be assumed that a Web portal offers centralized access to all relevant content and applications (Tatnall, 2005).

Issues in Using Web-Based Course Resources

2010 ◽  
pp. 1771-1779
Author(s):  
Karen S. Nantz ◽  
Norman A. Garrett
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Rss Feeds ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Web

Education over the Internet is going to be so big it is going to make e-mail usage look like a rounding error. John Chambers, Cisco Systems, New York Times, November 17, 1990 Web-based courses (Mesher, 1999) are defined as those where the entire course is taken on the Internet. In some courses, there may be an initial meeting for orientation. Proctored exams may also be given, either from the source of the Web-based course or off-site at a testing facility. The Internet-based course becomes a virtual classroom with a syllabus, course materials, chat space, discussion list, and e-mail services (Resmer, 1999). Navarro (2000) provides a further definition: a fully interactive, multimedia approach. Current figures indicate that 12% of Internet users in the United States use the Internet to take an online course for credit toward a degree of some kind (Horrigan, 2006). That number is indicative of the rapid proliferation of online courses over the past several years. The Web-enhanced course is a blend with the components of the traditional class while making some course materials available on a Web site, such as course syllabi, assignments, data files, and test reviews. Additional elements of a Web-enhanced course can include online testing, a course listserver, instructor-student e-mail, collaborative activities using RSS feeds and related technologies, and other activities on the Internet. One of the biggest concerns about Web-based courses is that users will become socially isolated. The Pew Internet and America Life Project found that online communities provide a vibrant social community (Horrigan, Rainie, & Fox, 2001). Clearly, students are not concerned or feel that other benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks. According to government research (Waits and Lewis, 2003), during the 2000-2001 academic year alone, an estimated 118,100 different credit courses were offered via distance education (with the bulk of that using Internet-based methods) by 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States. Over 3 million students were registered in these courses. Navarro (2000) suggests that faculty members are far more likely to start by incorporating Internet components into a traditional course rather than directly offering Web-based courses. These Web-enhanced courses might be considered the transition phase to the new paradigm of Internet-based courses. Rich learning environments are being created, with a shift from single tools to the use of multiple online tools, both to enhance traditional courses and to better facilitate online courses (Teles, 2002).

Codes of Ethics in Virtual Communities

2008 ◽  
pp. 1434-1442
Author(s):  
Calin Gurau
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Public Discussion ◽  
Online Discussion Forums ◽  
The Difference ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Web

The development of the World Wide Web has created new opportunities for interpersonal interaction. The Internet allows one-to-one (e-mail), one-to-many (Web sites, e-mail lists) or many-to-many (online discussion forums) interaction, which represent a unique feature in comparison with traditional communication channels (Armstrong & Hagel, 1996). On the other hand, the Internet has specific characteristics, such as: • Interactivity: The Internet offers multiple possibilities of interactive communication, acting not only as an interface, but also as a communication agent (allowing a direct interaction between individuals and software applications) • Transparency: The information published online can be accessed and viewed by any Internet user, unless this information is specifically protected • Memory: The Web is a channel not only for transmitting information, but also for storing information¾in other words, the information published on the Web remains in the memory of the network until it is erased. These characteristics permit the development of online or virtual communities¾groups of people with similar interests who communicate on the Web in a regular manner (Armstrong & Hagel, 1996; Goldsborough, 1999a, 1999b; Gordon, 2000). Many studies deal with the ethics of research in Cyberspace and Virtual Communities (Bakardjieva, Feenberg, & Goldie, 2004), but very few publications relate with the Codes of Ethics used in Public Discussion Forums (Belilos, 1998; Johnson, 1997). Other specialists have analyzed specific categories or uses of online discussion forums, such as online learning (Blignaut & Trollip, 2003; DeSanctis, Fayard, Roach, & Jiang, 2003) or the creation of professional communities of practice (Bickart & Schindler, 2001; Kling, McKim & King, 2003; Millen, Fontaine, & Muller, 2002), and in this context, have also discussed briefly the importance of netiquette and forum monitoring (Fauske & Wade, 2003, 2004). The difference between these online communities and public discussion forums is the degree of control exercised on the functioning and purpose of the forum by a specific individual or organization. This article attempts to investigate, analyze and present the main patterns of the codes/rules of ethics used in the public discussion forums, otherwise known as Newsgroups, and their influence on the profile and functioning of the community.

scholarly journals Custom Fusion Methode Based on Borda

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Issam Abdelbaki ◽  
El habib Benlahmar ◽  
El Houssine Labriji
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Information Access ◽  
User Profile ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Fusion Method ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Know How ◽  
Multiple Domains ◽  
The Web

<p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US">Searching for information on the Internet is not only an activity newly rediscovered, but also a strategic tool to achieve a wide variety of information. Indeed, it’s extremely important to know how to find the information quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the Web is so huge and so little structured, that gathering precise, fair and useful information becomes an expensive task. In order to define an information retrieval tool (meta search engine) that brings together multiple sources of information search, interest must be credited to the merger phase of search engines results. On the other hand, information search systems tend primarily to model the user with a profile and then to integrate it into the information access chain, to better meet its specific needs. </span></p><p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US">This paper presents a custom fusion method based on Borda method and values retrieved from the user profile. We evaluated our approach on multiple domains and we present some experimental results.</span></p>

scholarly journals Wired to the World: Anonymisers

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Ralph L Scott
Keyword(s):  
The Internet ◽  
The World ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Web

We have all become increasingly aware that, for commercial and perhaps other reasons, our use of the Internet can and is being tracked. For most of us this tracking has become a major concern as unwanted e-mail (commonly called SPAM) has begun to clog our incoming mailboxes.  There are a variety of ways to combat both the tracking and the receipt of unwanted e-mail. One of the ways of dealing with this problem is the use of an anonymiser service, many of which are available over the Web.

Higher Education in a Virtual World

2011 ◽  
pp. 352-367
Author(s):  
Patricia Genoe McLaren ◽  
Lori Francis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Net Generation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Technological World ◽  
Social Demographic ◽  
The Web

Following years of discussion surrounding the characteristics, both positive and negative, of generations X and Y, we are seeing the emergence of what is referred to as the virtual generation, the net generation, or Generation V. To some, the virtual generation includes 15 to 24 year olds who spend significant amounts of time playing video games, browsing the Web, and communicating over the Internet (Proserpio & Gioia, 2007). Tapscott (2009) defines the net generation as the first generation to have grown up in the digital age. To others, Generation V is a generation that transcends age, gender, social demographic, and geography, and encompasses everyone who participates in a virtual environment (Sarner, 2008). Regardless of the exact parameters of the generation in use, as the virtual generation enters our academic institutions en masse, we need to ensure that we are providing educational environments that encompass the technological world in which they live, that defines who they are. Rather than requiring them to be confined solely to traditional lecture-based pedagogy, let the virtual generation learn in a virtual world.

Managing Operational Business Processes with Web-Based Information Technologies

2009 ◽  
pp. 217-225
Author(s):  
Ned Kock
Keyword(s):  
Information Technologies ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Team Coordination ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Commercial Use ◽  
Generic Framework ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Web

Traditionally management schools of thought that emphasize certain types of work structures usually appear earlier than information technologies (IT) geared at supporting those work structures. This situation has undoubtedly changed recently, arguably around the mid-1990s, with the explosion in the commercial use of the Internet and particularly the Web. This calls for the development of a generic framework that ties together relevant management ideas that help organizations strategically and operationally align themselves with new Web-based IT. Our goal with this chapter is to provide some basic elements that can be used by managers and researchers as a starting point to develop this generic framework. As such, we focus on a particular set of activities associated with team coordination and communication in production and service delivery business processes through the Internet and the Web.

Issues in Using Web-Based Course Resources

2010 ◽  
pp. 2266-2272
Author(s):  
Karen S. Nantz ◽  
Norman A. Garrett
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Rss Feeds ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Web

Education over the Internet is going to be so big it is going to make e-mail usage look like a rounding error. John Chambers, Cisco Systems, New York Times, November 17, 1990 Web-based courses (Mesher, 1999) are defined as those where the entire course is taken on the Internet. In some courses, there may be an initial meeting for orientation. Proctored exams may also be given, either from the source of the Web-based course or off-site at a testing facility. The Internet-based course becomes a virtual classroom with a syllabus, course materials, chat space, discussion list, and e-mail services (Resmer, 1999). Navarro (2000) provides a further definition: a fully interactive, multimedia approach. Current figures indicate that 12% of Internet users in the United States use the Internet to take an online course for credit toward a degree of some kind (Horrigan, 2006). That number is indicative of the rapid proliferation of online courses over the past several years. The Web-enhanced course is a blend with the components of the traditional class while making some course materials available on a Web site, such as course syllabi, assignments, data files, and test reviews. Additional elements of a Web-enhanced course can include online testing, a course listserver, instructor-student e-mail, collaborative activities using RSS feeds and related technologies, and other activities on the Internet. One of the biggest concerns about Web-based courses is that users will become socially isolated. The Pew Internet and America Life Project found that online communities provide a vibrant social community (Horrigan, Rainie, & Fox, 2001). Clearly, students are not concerned or feel that other benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks. According to government research (Waits and Lewis, 2003), during the 2000-2001 academic year alone, an estimated 118,100 different credit courses were offered via distance education (with the bulk of that using Internet-based methods) by 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States. Over 3 million students were registered in these courses. Navarro (2000) suggests that faculty members are far more likely to start by incorporating Internet components into a traditional course rather than directly offering Web-based courses. These Web-enhanced courses might be considered the transition phase to the new paradigm of Internet-based courses. Rich learning environments are being created, with a shift from single tools to the use of multiple online tools, both to enhance traditional courses and to better facilitate online courses (Teles, 2002).

Towards Management of Interoperable Learning Objects

2009 ◽  
pp. 1406-1415
Author(s):  
Tanko Ishaya
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Web

Developments in the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) technologies have led to an evolving trend in Electronic learning (e-learning). E-learning is now one of the most fast growing trends in computing and higher education (Ishaya & Wood, 2005) and certainly becoming a dominant way of learning in workplace settings across other organizations (Mungania, 2003). From its initial roots as an information-sharing tool, the Web has seen an exponential growth into a myriad of applications, ranging from very serious e-business to pure leisure environments. Likewise, research into technology support for education has quickly recognized the potential and possibilities for using the Web as a learning tool (Ishaya, Jenkins, & Goussios, 2002). Thus, the Web technology is now an established medium for promoting student learning, and today there are a great many online learning materials, tutorials, and courses supported by different learning tools with varying levels of complexity. It can be observed that there are many colleges and universities, each of which teaches certain concepts based on defined principles that remain constant from institution to institution. This results in thousands of similar descriptions of the same concept. This means that institutions spend a lot of resources producing multiple versions of the same learning objects that could be shared at much lower cost. The Internet is a ubiquitous supporting environment for sharing of learning materials. As a consequence, many institutions take advantage of the Internet to provide online courses (Ishaya et al., 2002; Jack, Bonk, & Jacobs, 2002; Manouselis, Panagiotou, Psichidou, & Sampson, 2002). Many other agencies have started offering smaller and more portable learning materials defined as learning objects (Harris, 1999; POMETEUS, 2002). Common standards for metadata, learning objects, and services are mandatory for the success of Web-based learning, which is why the creation of such standards for learning objects and related standards has being one of focus for research and development within the past few years. This includes the creation of accredited standards from the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC) for Learning Object Metadata (LOM), Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), Instructional Management System (IMS), and so on. All these metadata models define how learning materials can be described in an interoperable way. There have also been intensive developments in the area of e-learning technology and the wide variety of learning environments from many different vendors (e.g., Sakai, Moodle, and Blackboard). While most of these approaches provide a means for describing, sharing, and reusing resources, the concept of interoperability and heterogeneous access to content chunks is yet to be fully achieved. This results in thousands of similar descriptions of the same concept, even within the same learning management system (LMS), and because these concepts may have been defined using different standards, they are not interoperable. What is required therefore is a mechanism and infrastructure for supporting a interoperable system of individual components that can be assembled by mixing and matching content from multiple sources to satisfy individual learner’s requirements. See Wood and Ishaya (2005) for a personality-based approach for building learner profiles.

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