Thought for the day on internet browsing

How much of the information you see on the internet do you actually want ?

Googling or Yahooing helps find the information, but even then the information is always packaged in a way you might not have chosen.

So, how about the idea of a web-browser which doesn't browse complete pages, but only the relevant information of one or more pages.

Imagine searching for, or browsing, the subject "car". In front of you, you see a "bubble" of information concerning the subject. Linked to the main bubble are other bubbles of information.

There would be bubbles of information of a higher hierarchical order ("vehicle", "transport", "logistics", ..) and bubbles of a lower order ("engine", "transmission", ..) and bubbles detailing the current level ("Ferrari", "Toyota", ..).


I see a (bit of a) parallel with what's happening to tv: with hard-disk recorders allowing you to record and watch, people are watching the programme (they want) and skipping the commercials (they don't want).

All that's needed is for information (content) to be accompanied by meta-data; information describing the information. Technologies for this are available and are used; xml is a mature and well known technology.

The interesting thing is, is that the (world wide) web is already moving this way. The "Semantic Web" as (a) term for the future of the web has long been coined.

Which leads me to think that somewhere out there, this idea has already been implemented. What's "Twine" for instance (I can't check it out here at work; the browser won't let me).

Can anybody tell me ?

PS: Regarding the parallel I draw to commercials, the commercials of the future will have to be (and already are) planted within the content ("product placement").

Gegroet. Paul.