Web terminology

[Jana Edwards]

Portal is a good descriptive word, and imaginative.  Recently I grappled
with finding a good  term to describe web subject directories, when
putting a presentation together for English composition teachers working
in computer classrooms.  There seems to be no real consensus on a term,
as you look at the sites on the web.  While I like the word "portal",
how does that fit in with the authentication systems we use for licensed
databases such as Galenet? We often use the term "portal" here at UF to
describe the passageway into the licensed databases that are accessible
through the web.  Comments?


Jana Edwards, Reference Librarian/Outreach Specialist
Library West, Humanities & Social Sciences Services
George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida
Gainesville, FL  32611
edwards at ufl.edu   



> ----------
> From: 	Jian Liu[SMTP:jiliu at script.lib.indiana.edu]
> Reply To: 	jiliu at script.lib.indiana.edu
> Sent: 	Friday, June 05, 1998 8:50 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Re: Web terminology
> 
> Another term, popping up more and more frequently, on the commercial
> side of the web at least, is "Portal", referring mainly to the big
> search engine sites, which have added other popular subject
> directories,
> free email, chat room, and other shopping opportunities. There is
> a recent article in PC Magazine Online that discusses Netscape's
> NetCenter
> as being one of the portals.
> 
> Any comment on the use of the word, or this portal trend?
> 
> Jian
> Indiana University Libraries
> 
> > 
> > 
> > I have a (probably dumb) question about terminology.....
> > 
> > What do you call those sites that basically consist of
> > links to other useful sites? They can be annotated (like
> > the Librarians' Index to the Internet), or simply lists of
> > unannotated links.
> > 
> > I tend to think of them as meta sites, but I was wondering
> > if there is another term that's commonly used........
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > 
> > Bernie Sloan
> > Senior Library Information Systems Consultant
> > University of Illinois Office for Planning & Budgeting
> > 338 Henry Administration Building
> > 506 S. Wright Street
> > Urbana, IL  61801
> > Phone: (217) 333-4895  
> > Fax: (217) 333-6355
> > Email: bernies at uillinois.edu
> > 
>