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In this Issue |
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From the editor: Searching for Meaning in the Top 20 |
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Featured topic from SearchNetworking.com: Wireless is the future |
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Reader Feedback: A few complaints and a brilliant idea |
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Searching for Meaning in the Top 20 |
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by Lowell Thing, Editor
Several years ago when we started posting the 20 most consulted terms every week, we thought it would be fascinating to see what most readers were looking up. Without thinking much about it, we figured the list would be quite different every week. As it turned out, the list quickly settled into what would be, albeit with some interesting variations, almost the same list every week and, in a way, we find that interesting, too.
Almost every week without exception, the most popular term is not really a term, but a summary of information (including a definition) called "Fast Guide to DSL." It doesn't take a lot of thinking to figure that this is simply because many people are in some stage of upgrading their Internet connection to DSL. As many as 10,000 people a week look at this page.
Then come (and the order changes slightly from week to week) some very basic terms related to networking: router, TCP/IP, and Ethernet. These are all often in the Top 5.
Other popular terms that consistently make the list further down are also pretty basic: operating system, RAM, Internet, bandwidth, local area network. We believe some of these terms are viewed more often simply because we have so many hyperlinks to these terms in our other definitions.
But the most interesting terms to us are those that are relatively new to the list and these include some of our favorite "Fast References," such as our new "Mathematical Symbols" and "Kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, and all that." Since it's not likely you'd find these through a Google search, we believe that many of the clicks to these handy references come from other Web sites that recommend or link to them.
This week, one of our quizzes and our main "Learning Paths" page also made the Top 20, and, although we promoted these pages, we're still delighted to see that readers are discovering what we think are very useful features.
And finally, there are the real puzzlements, usually about one term a week. This week, the fifth most popular term was "bit" and we can't begin to figure out why. Why would so many people look up or click on "bit"? Please let us know if you have any idea.
From our home page, "This Week's Top 20 Terms" are always listed as part of the "Recently add/updated" page under "What's New."
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definitionsWhatsNew/0,,sid9,00.html |
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Featured Site: SearchNetworking.com |
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FEATURED TOPIC: Wireless is the future
Robert Kahn, the creator of TCP, recently told us that he believes wireless technology will have a big impact on how we use the Internet in the future. With that in mind, here's recent wireless info to help you prepare for your future.
Find out more
Take our wireless quiz
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci752723,00.html
NETWORLD + INTEROP AND COMDEX ATLANTA 2002
The annual fall networking extravaganza is expected to be light on product announcements from the big players this year. Security, voice-data convergence and wireless technology will move into the spotlight instead.
Read the entire story
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Reader Feedback: A few complaints and a brilliant idea |
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by Margaret Rouse, Assistant Editor
We got some interesting feedback about self-scanning checkout systems last week. Although I felt the experience was empowering when I encountered the technology for the first time, not all our readers agreed.
Marge G. had a horrible experience checking herself out at a grocery store. "The machine got every [darn] price wrong. By the time store officials had straightened it out, I could have milked the cow myself and walked home. And that's no bull!"
Dileep D. liked the technology but felt it was misapplied: "Sometime in the 1980's I was working for Sperry Univac and came up with the idea for a trolley (cart in the US?) that checked in goods as you put them in." Although Dileep felt a self-scanning shopping cart would be empowering (especially to shoppers on a budget), he agreed with a lot of other readers who took the time to write in when he said "The automated [checkout counter] doesn't really empower you at all. It turns you into an employee and confers little benefit."
Bud G. went a step further. "If the store would deduct "X" amount from the total for using the [self-scanning checkout], then I might do it again. You are adding to the profit margin of the store and receiving nothing for it."
If you haven't had the opportunity to see a self-checkout scanning system yet, visit our new illustrated definition:
http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci848460,00.html
Have you used a self-scanning checkout system? Let us know what you think of them!
Learning Path feedback:
We'd like to thank Gary J for his contribution to our learning path idea. Gary wrote:
"Your learning path concept is very cool! I often used the "learn by definition" approach for many topics. Have you considered allowing readers to "join" a path and have one definition e-mailed to them each day (like your whatis.com Word of the Day)?"
We hadn't thought of this before -- and don't know how we could set it up easily -- but we agree with Gary that it would be a very cool idea! Drop us a note and let us know if you agree.
Guide to the learning paths:
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci212463,00.html
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Whatis.com contacts:
Lowell Thing, Site Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Margaret Rouse, Assistant Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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