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To: Richard who wrote (19277)	1/26/2000 9:40:00 AM
From: Educator	Respond to of 29970

Add Spain to Excite@Home's global footprint. biz.yahoo.com Ed

To: Richard who wrote (19277)	1/26/2000 2:49:00 PM
From: E. Davies	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

You just gave a perfect example for the need for portals. They are not content providers- they are content aggregators. How would your average person even know that hubble had a site and where to find it? People like to have information aggregated for them. There is incredible power in saving peoples time and allowing them to look in just a few places. Eric

To: Richard who wrote (19277)	1/26/2000 11:43:00 PM
From: Solid	Respond to of 29970

Richard, What would the world be without rhetoric? Some questions answer themselves! The only point I'm attempting to communicate is, is it possible that most users over time will move from being "spoon fed by portals" and will prefer to go direct to the site as in the Hubbell Space Telescope example above?. Most?, imho, no. Some...possibly a few more than some, probably a yes. What a great content-portal could do, in addition to the 'aggregator' function [nice inet moniker Eric!] is be very democratic and not dictatorial. Let your subscribing public know that you offer step by step lessons on how to use the Internets full capabilities and information base. We are the guys who'll teach you how to use a search engine and how to find things of interest. Like the TV movies that end and then have an actor say, 'If you'd like to learn more get a book.' Then they list titles or plug the library. I do not see this as demeaning but as a potential way to empower any user that is interested. For any beyond its need, they simply by-pass it. It becomes a positive. If we get tight with MS then we already have it knocked, ‘Where do you want to go today?' This in contrast to the AOL totalitarian political state that punishes subscribers for 'straying' to far from big brother by disconnecting them, deleting file bases, etc., and generally encouraging them to stay IV drip hooked into there affiliated links. Did I say AOL? 'The dirty rotten SOB has not a soul to mend and all we can do is pray to God they'll get theirs in the end.' Crash test dummies On the MSN site I got the pictures from they even had a click to vote how you rated their choice of the post. I gave it a 7, highest. Why? I'd like to see more. Without their link, I knew about Hubbell, the repairs, etc., but did not take the time to go check it out. The link made it easier and more appealing with my limited time. What about subjects I have no knowledge of? The aggregator function has value. So I agree with Eric, and Grace. Besides, I have personalized my start page and have a host of favorite links, but I still choose a home page service. Why not have it an awesome one that is happy to see you safely off to any port of call you wish? I need to shop for food, I do not have to buy baby food just because my store carries it. About content being significant, I tend to agree with the sentiment of the WSJ article quoted here today. Yes, it will be very significant for our future value though it made us blow a trannie in the ST. imo. the above is a rhetorical question and not directed to you personally, Thank you for prefacing your post. You are a gentleman. BTY, those Hubbell Space Telescope Public Pictures that you got excited about, I think I saw 5 years ago on the Web. Yes and No: Yes, but they were acquired then with enhancement technologies due to the fact that the 'near perfect' mirror was not. Remember it was so perfect that if it was ratio'ed out to be the width of North America it would have no more than 3/4" vertical variance from any peak to valley? Then they found out that they ground it to the wrong specifications. It was off by a mile. It could have been single-handedly responsible for giving credibility to Ross Perot with his now infamous restatement of the ancient wisdom, 'Measure twice, cut once.'! No, they were retakes of some of the 'golden oldies' with the new hardware and software just installed by the recent, many times delayed shuttle mission. The images are breathtaking in their clarity and fine detail. Major enhancements from the first series for researchers studying them. I can see why Grace might appreciate them!