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An attendee at one of my presentations to management on How to
be Brilliant Using the Internet asked why the web never seemed to get any more
interesting. I didn’t quite understand what he meant, so I asked a few more
questions. He finally explained that all he ever sees changing on the home page of the
Yahoo web site are the ads, not the content. (Hint: This is like saying QVC is a great
television channel because the "shows" are never interrupted by commercials.)
There are two ways to have a richer experience on the web. First, go to more
interesting sites. On Yahoo, for instance, you’d need to click down a few levels to
see new web sites that have been added. Second, view content that goes beyond the
ordinary text and graphics that comprise the majority of web pages. So that you’ll
find this article a satisfying experience, we’ll cover both approaches.
To prepare for viewing more interesting sites and site content, you’ll need to
install a few pieces of software to your web browser called plug-ins. A plug-in a small
piece of software that gives a web browser extended capabilities, such as playing a speech
recording or displaying an interactive calculator. A web browser functions just fine with
or without a plug-in. However, when your browser encounters a web page that contains
plug-in material and the plug-in is not installed, you get a form of a rectangle with a
big question mark rather than the special content. And in spite of what Microsoft may
insist, a plug-in is application software, not operating system software!
Installing a Plug-In
With the three plug-ins that will install, you’ll follow these installation
steps.
- Go to the web site and download the installer. You may have to fill out a brief
form or survey to let the software development company know about you. Don’t worry
about being charged, however. In every site that I direct you to in this article, you
won’t have to pay for downloading the software. In the spirit of Internet
development, each of the plug-ins that you work with will also be cross-platform.
You’ll need to run the installer. The very best way to run any installer is
when no other applications are running.
Launch your browser. If you didn’t quit it in step 2, it probably won’t
hurt anything, but the plug-in won’t be able to do its magic until it is present when
the browser launches. If an installer adds fonts, control panels, or other system
software, you may need to restart your computer to take advantage of the added
capabilities. Look to the specific installer software for guidance.
True WYSIWYG Web Documents
The first plug-in to add is called Acrobat, from Adobe Adobe Acrobat gives you
picture-perfect documents and interactive forms via the web. Solo professionals and
enterprise clients alike use Acrobat to publish documents in a format that will be
consistently viewed and printed by any type of computer system (Windows, Macintosh, or
Unix). The IRS uses Acrobat to create its state and federal tax forms primarily because of
the savings in printing and postage, and then probably because it is an added convenience
for us, the customers, to be able to download a form at any time via the web.
Best Synchronized Video and Sound
QuickTime is like a digital VCR: It is a recording and playback device all in one
interface. When a company wants to share information that includes video and make it
accessible on videotape, CD-ROM or the Web, QuickTime is often the choice development
environment due to the quality of editing tools as well as the quality of the output. HBO,
Bloomburg News, and the BBC use QuickTime. But even if your company isn’t creating
television programming or movies like Star Wars, QuickTime serves your needs for such
mundane purposes as recruiting tools, interactive training modules, product marketing, HR
bulletins, and company newsletters. Having the QuickTime plug-in is a standard part of the
installation for Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. However, a version 4 of
QuickTime was released recently with improved playback features.
Most Popular Audio Playback
Real Audio puts FM-radio quality sound into your computer via the Web. It works by
"streaming" audio files from a server to your computer. The advantage of
streaming vs. file downloading is twofold. First, the playback starts sooner than when you
have to wait for a large file to download. This is the "magic" behind being able
to replay a 60-minute interview via a Real Audio file link. Second, after the playback
finishes, your hard drive has not lost any space to a new file. Real Networks has also
released a new version of its media player with the moniker "G2" as it ventures
into multimedia formats that you can sample on its web site, but remember that it’s
the excellent quality of Real Audio playback that’s made it the choice of the likes
of National Public Radio and the Educational News and Entertainment Network.
Take a tour of these sites to experience what they have to offer first-hand. Stop
complaining that the scenery isn’t changing, and explore using this article as a
guide for stepping out into new territory.
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