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Dear Online News Colleagues:

This is an issue of some concern for me. The reason it is important to me
is probably not reason it might be important to you. But I think it is
something that many people on this list may want to take a closer look at.

The next version of Netscape will use a new feature called the "Smart
Browser." What this does is  assign certain keywords to certain specific
sites. The obvious example, used on the Netscape site, is the word "Ford."
This will take you to the Ford site. Other keywords in the Netscape
database will take you to other sites. "Browser" for example, might take
you to the Internet Explorer site, though I doubt it. Once at one of these
sites, the Netscape browser will query the Netcenter database and create a
pull down menu of related sites.

The purpose is noble enough -- to make surfing easier -- making it easier
to find information and relevant useful information. You can read more at
.

But ask yourself this -- who is going to decide what URLs get tied to what
keywords and what related sites are going to get tied to those?

My concern is that Netscape might have a vested interest in deciding this
matter. Will advertisers get preferred treatment? (Actually, I doubt it,
but I've gotta ask the question anyway.) Will there by a prejudice toward
"established" sites, or sites owned by big companies. Will my bigger,
better financed competitors get preference? Or if you're the weekly
covering Pueblo, Colo, will you get aced out by a Netscape preference for
the bigger daily paper (That's just an example -- I know nothing about
Pueblo, even though I have relatives who live there)?

What happens if somebody types in "news"? Really, under the current way
Netscape handles such one word entries into the location window of the
browser, you should go to C/Net's news.com, but Netscape hasn't handles the
word "news" that way since 3.0. But surely there will be a keyword of News.
Who's "news" site will it be? And will you be listed as a "related" site?

For me, my big issue (and this is really off topic for Online News, but
please let me whine) is what is going to happen with the keyword "rv"? And
related, what will be the related sites for "RV", and what happens if
somebody types in "rvclub or "rv clubs"? I chose my simple to remember,
easy to type domain name specifically to take advantage of the Netscpae
feature that allows you to go to www.rvclub.com if you type in just
"rvclub".

I've written to Netscape and they referred me to the URL above, which
really didn't answer my questions. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't
have any answers right now. Maybe one of these smart people on the list
will have an answer -- maybe even set my mind at ease. If I get an answer
to my follow up e-mail to Netscape, I'll pass along any relevant
information.

Happy trails,
H.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Howard Owens // mailto:howard@rvclub.com
The RV Club // http://www.rvclub.com/
President // #L-CHAR-00001
ICQ# // 5400300
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Get the Scoop -- Get RV Smart

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



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