Re: KidCode: Next steps

At 1:15 AM 6/19/95, Terje Norderhaug wrote:
>At 10:34 AM 6/18/95, Nathaniel Borenstein wrote:
>>Sorry for the lack of precision.  I really meant "all such URL's".  The
>>example I had in mind when I wrote this was a site that was largely
>>dedicated to such material, but the URL-based approach is obviously much
>>more flexible than blocking whole sites.
>
>Even better would be to be able to block just specific parts of documents.
>What I have in mind goes beyond the blocking of adult information -
>it should be possible to get tailored presentations where unwanted information
>is stripped, thus better serve the neds of the reader.
>
>I, for example, would like to use "rating technology"  to configurate a browser
>that avoid all these interspersed commercials that have started to be so
>common on the Web. I prefer to get commercials when I want, not
>as noise in some random context. I have a feeling that there are
>quite some people out there that share my preference...

An interesting aspects of ability to block commercials, is that it changes
the revenue/business model of the Web. The current Web technology share
with broadcast media a lack of facilitation of content creators charging
for the access to their content. In addition, it is the default for most
people with a background from todays media, and coming up with alternatives
requires imagination and exploration. This has lead to a rapid increase in
the use of interspersed ads on the Web as a way to create an income.

Of course, most users would prefer to be without that extra noise in
the content. More important, a revenue model based on such advertisements
has large implications on the content that will appear on a medium, as
well as the services offered. With the revenue coming from ads it is
not the users that is the clients, but rather the advertisers. The users
have become the product rather than the customer. Thus it makes sense
to get as many as possible to see the commercials, rather than providing
high quality content and services.

New web technology are under development that may support revenue models
more in the readers interest. With an ability to block commercials, these
other potential revenue models will become more favorable. You are
encouraged to
work towards that the "rating technologies" are flexible enough to
support the avoidance of commercials.

-- Terje <Norderhaug.CHI@xerox.com>
   <URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~terjen/>

Received on Monday, 19 June 1995 04:56:57 UTC