Opinion

OPINION

Give the People What They Want

Net Citizens, Newbies and the Web-Weary Sound Off About the Net

by Philip Dunn

Five years ago, hardly anyone knew about the Net. These days it's hard not to have some sort of exposure to it. Experienced netizens champion its utility and resources. The inexperienced get hooked in by email at first and marvel at the postage savings (even though most of us don't spend $19.95 a month on personal stamps). Even those who know nothing about the Internet have sophisticated opinions on the subject.

The Internet is useful and captivating enough that many of us have come to embrace it as a tool and a diversion. Whether it's a need to know, a convenience, an exploratory quest or a need to connect with others, we're hooked. And since the addiction has already begun to take effect, it would be nice to consider what we want out of it. What follows is a sampling of what people in the area like about the Internet, as well as what they fear about it and what they'd like to see in the future. These are the results of random interviews, conducted both in person and via various Internet interfaces. Most of the participants are from Southern California, unless denoted. Oh yes, the rather elusive "What is the Internet?" was thrown in as well.

What is the Internet?

There as many definitions for the Net as there are people. Here's a shot. It's a telephone-wired network that allows people to access remote computers to exchange information. That sounds okay, but what about the human element? The Internet is also that funky wallpaper at MrShowbiz.com, news before TV and well-constructed lies. It's human creativity as well as painstaking research, valuable databases and even physical places-offices, island vacations and home businesses. Here's a little of what the interviews turned up:

"Electronic pulses through the phone lines is standard, signal is translated to and from a NIC." -Gayle Crider, Long Beach (AST Computers)

"Based on Arpanet and military work in the 60s, it's a network of interconnected servers/computers/etc. using TCP/IP protocol." -Jerome Davin, Aliso Viejo (CompUSA)

"It's a communications channel that allows one computer to access other computers to exchange information." -Julian Bailey, 77, retired former CEO of regional company

"To me it's like a phone system where you can share information rather than voices. And it doesn't have to happen only in the moment, like talking on the phone. Text, pictures and sounds can be saved and retrieved at your leisure." -Nicole Gyurik, 30, Newport Beach

What Web sites do you use and value?

Utility and value are often difficult to judge with the Internet. Historians will undoubtedly look back on our fascination with the Net and question the level of productivity derived from such a distracting medium. Nevertheless, we have our favorites, our bookmarks. One good thing about seeing what others like is that we can come to a more collaborative consensus about what's good.

"I look up companies for competitive information. For sports I check ESPN, CNNSI and CBS. I also check out cartoons like Dilbert." -Judith Muth, Irvine, (Rockwell)

"Competitors' sites for business." -Gayle Crider

"I use the Internet for work mostly but not for entertainment. Nothing beats the movies/theater/TV/scenic drive/a good book!" -Jerome Davin

"I subscribe to the 'online' Wall Street Journal. I use Standard and Poor's, N.Y. Times, Washington Post, Forbes and Business Week. I'm interested in genealogy and subscribe to a number of surname lists, Cyndi's List, etc. I subscribe to a poodle owners' discussion group, and visit amateur radio sites. These are all for intellectual stimulation and entertainment." -Julian Bailey

"I do research on social sciences and social services sites. I like the music sites where you can play the songs. I like to find out tour dates for bands at the Ultimate Band List. In the past I called radio stations for information. You don't have to wait for tomorrow's paper for the news. I looked up a French newspaper for my dad." -Nicole Gyurik

"One thing I can say, I think chat rooms serve as an opportunity for students to communicate; other people just come in and start saying a lot of bull crap." -Sea98 (chat) [all chat references are from ichat in the General category]

"I'd like to see more interesting people, not like you." -Sweetie (chat)

"Music sites for CDs like Bloody Wanker. I've bought the last five CDs I've gotten because of the reviews." -Rudie, 16 (chat)

"News CNN best for breaking news. Can get almost anything, but...Does nursing research. It's easy to do a lit review, but I would like to be able to actually access more journals themselves. Wants to see more online access to scientific journals." -Lisei, female, NY (chat)

"I read the Kansas City Star online. The paper sometimes beats the print editions on breaking news. I also look up plane fares." -Menace2u, 38, male, Kansas City (chat)

"I need to do some research on potential new customers. For example, we just signed a new company called Agway. I was able to look up info on them and learn where their sites were (northeast USA), what their annual sales are, etc.

"I am a news junkie. Being able to go to CNN's site, or that of USA Today, gives me many more opportunities to learn what is going on in the world. What I learn is useful to me for both my personal use (news junkie) and for work. For example, I have subscribed to a free service that each day sends me an email listing of all the merger and acquisition news.

"Entertainment is a part of my Internet life as well, but while many people would express an interest in playing games or downloading music, that is not for me. Instead, my hobby is entering sweepstakes. About four or five months ago I got started entering sweepstakes via the Internet. I entered a few using my fast T1 connection at work, but had to stop after a couple of months because it started to take too much time. So, in January I subscribed to a cable connection at home and do all my Internet sweepstaking from home on weekends. So far I have won a printer, a sun dial, some software, and a couple of other things.

"My top sites are: For Work: CNNfn-Business News NY Times-Business News Hoover. I install satellite antennas on shopping centers so I look at the Federal Communications Commission site (FCC)-I track regulatory issues.

"I am amazed each time I find some new service or feature. For example, the site where I can look and see the actual traffic speeds at various points on the freeways fascinates me. I like the ability to be able to go to Amazon.com and order just about any book in the world and have it in my hands in just a few days. I like the ability to be able to find people who share my hobbies, and easily communicate with them. And, of course, the ability to do research is just phenomenal. I have been able to repeatedly help my daughter research items for her school papers. She invariably tries to do her homework at the last minute on a Sunday night when all the libraries are closed. I am able to do a few searches and flood her with more information that she would have been able to find even if the library was open." -Steve d'Adolf, Poway, CA, Hughes Network Systems

What are your biggest fears concerning the proliferation of the Internet?

The Internet has come to mirror the real world when it comes to fear. Will you be mugged? Will you see something unsavory? Will someone use your credit card number? Are politicians lying to you? Are you getting bad advice? The hurdles and hindrances of real life somehow doubled with the advent of the Net.

"The proliferation of the Web is no more sinister than the proliferation of phone lines." -FisherFly (chat)

"I used to think that (years ago) people weren't going to want to go to the library, make books or read books. But now, I don't necessarily think so. One thing I do worry about is that a lot of people will be at a disadvantage because they don't have access or don't know how to use it." -Nicole Gyurik

"My biggest fears on the Internet are not invasion of privacy per se. That is a problem everywhere, not just on the Internet. My biggest fear is the destructive potential by people who want to cause havoc. It is too easy for nasty computer literate people to destroy someone's Web site, their business, computerized records, etc. It is too easy to leave false information and cause someone to believe what they read is true and therefore do something based on wrong information. When people buy stocks, or make business decisions, or critical life decisions based on what they see and read on the Internet it scares me to think what will happen to those people when they later learn that what they read was wrong." -Steve d'Adolf

"I fear that my learning and future could be restricted. The Web has changed in the last four years. I can't find people with my interests anymore. Three to four years ago, I could just go to IRC and there would be nothing but nice people." -Rudie, 16 (chat)

"My biggest fear is invasion of privacy, although the proliferation of obnoxious children is right up there in second place." -[reference to some spamming by alleged teens in the chat room]

"New ways for white-collar criminals." -Gayle Crider

"Security." -Judy Muth

"No fears really-can't be worse than all these marketing surveys we fill out all the time!!! As long as it is encrypted-no real worries." -Jerome Davin

What type of site could you use but can't find?

No matter how vast and inclusive the Internet is, it's always so dang frustrating getting exactly what we want. Not only that, it seems that everybody and their mother's got a brilliant idea for a site. Are the epiphanies evaporating into the ether, or are my search skills inadequate?

"I would love to see a calendar of events for different things, more community oriented." -Nicole Gyurik

"I can find just about anything here." -Menace2u

"More sites on high level programming like C, C++, Basic and Access. It's frustrating hitting the ceiling when you're trying to teach yourself." -Rudie

"Comparison search engines without a bias." -Gayle Crider

This doesn't really resolve the issue of engine bias, but Dogpile is a good way to compare the ways search engines stack up against one another. To see how your own site ranks in the search engines, visit RankThis!.

"It's endless. So far, the Internet has been extremely useful from all fronts. I have not come across any sites I cannot find." -Judy Muth

"Local fine dining would be a great list to have access to." -Ashley Cleary, Newport Beach

There are a couple of good sites that deal with Southern California restaurants. One is an adaptation of the Zagat Survey, and the other, Daily Diner, allows you to add your personal reviews of local dining establishments and see those of others.

"I haven't scratched the surface of the information opportunities that exist already! It would be nice to speed up the transfer of information, though." -Julian Bailey

"I'd like to be able to find newspaper items from various newspapers around the country. I am disappointed that I can't use a service like AltaVista and be able to search for items that are in the news stories of a newspaper. From what I have seen, the newspapers have purposely kept the ability to search their own archives to themselves. One must go to the site of the newspaper and search only there. You can't search for a specific story and do that search across all newspapers or even all papers from one state or city." -Steve d'Adolf

For something that didn't exist not so long ago, the Internet sure has been adopted and mastered quickly. People know what they want. They know what's bunk. They know how to shuffle through the chaff. The Internet works best for people when they can get what they need most, participate without fear and give input for improvement. Fortunately, the Net has some degree of built-in quality control. If you build it, they won't necessarily come. But if it's good, it gets to its intended audience.

Phil Dunn of Synapse Services Co. is a technical copywriter and Internet consultant.