Web Portals

I found this definition of what a web portal is. I don't agree, I think a web portal is a user interface into a range services, it isn't actually the services themselves

Everybody is talking about portals around me, but I think it is one of those terms that doesn't really mean anything. I'm interested to hear what others think, and particularly what ideas people have about how to design good web portals.

I think a portal is the "homepage" for a web service that provides easy customised access for each individual user. So for example if the web service has a forum there might be links to recent posts to your threads. A think a good portal makes it really easy for a user to navigate around the site and get quickly where they want to go.

Any further ideas are welcome.

Thanx Z.

At risk of being repetitive can I add "awesome" ?

>> I think a web portal is a user interface into a range services, it isn't actually the services themselves
I suppose you're referring to "A Web site or service that offers a broad array of resources and services". Well, look at major portals - yahoo, aol and msn. They actually do provide their services. Then there's google, which I reckon is a portal too, but the provide only part of services (eg news but not mail). So yeah, portal is a big word and can be streched to fit almost any deffinition, and at the same time doesn't mean anything by itself.

Aha there we go Definitions, it always comes down to a definition.

I conside yahoo a web service, which has some standard components, one of these being a web portal an interface to their services. I'd add more but dinner is awaiting

Just think of the word portal...

Its a gateway of any sorts, I would believe. Whether it gives a user access to services themselves or just lists of services or whatnot.

Lol, we could use portal to mean all sorts of things. Web portal could be a service, and a browser, even kazaa (hmm I feel like some red dwarf too ), but I guess I was trying ot point out that a web portal is more appropriately the interface into your services, not the services themselves. I mean is a door (the gateway into a room) the same as the room you're entering? If I say door do you think room ?

So now that we've got that out of the way - any additions to creating good web portals?

Right, when I think portal, I think links to services. Yahoo! and MSN have many services, and I always feel that presenting the navigation TO those services is the portal. Yahoo! Mail, IMO, is not a portal, its a service. Yahoo!, the link to those services, is the portal.

I hear your point.

No big deal, it is a rather futile point to be honest Anyway, what I'd like to discuss are what is a good web portal. Open to futher ideas.