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The fishFinder applet tells you in real time how many people are visiting the
four currently most accessed areas on the web site. This information is visual, dynamic, and available 24
hours-a-day, so you know exactly where the action is the minute you log into the JDC. Just
click Ping to update the information.
New Idea in Web Site Navigation
While many sites provide maps to tell you what that site contains, fishFinder shows
you how many people are in various places on the site. It's like walking
into a mall and seeing a crowd in front of a department store. Most people
would want to walk over to find out what is going on--free ice cream,
the sale of the century, a gravity-defying juggling act, or an alien
spaceship landing--fishFinder shows you where the action is, so you can
be there and join in the fun.
Sense of Community
fishFinder demonstrates that Java technology can provide live web site data, such as
how many people are near and what they are doing. In the future it is hoped that developers
can take the fishFinder paradigm and expand it to include
information like who the people are, their interests, occupations, and hobbies. With a customized search,
fishFinder users might be able to locate the people and activities that interest them most. For example:
- fishFinder might locate people on the Web interested in various technical
topics, stamp collecting, rollerblading, hiking, ham radio, cake decorating, or wine tasting in a
given city,
or
- fishFinder might locate friends, relatives, or work associates currently logged
onto the Web.
Real-time visual statistics on web usage is a new and exciting area with unlimited
potential for bringing
diverse people with common interests together. As the Internet continues to grow,
the world begins to shrink.
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