1.1 Hacks #1-12
Using Amazon.com is easy. Even novice web users with a bit of time
and curiosity can find exactly what they're looking for and complete
a transaction fairly effortlessly. Beneath this user-friendly
exterior, though, is a powerful application that helps people
discover information, voice opinions, participate in a community, and
sell things.
First and foremost, Amazon.com is a web
application—not to be confused with
simple, flat, static pages. In reality, each "page" at Amazon is
generated right when you request it, personalized for your viewing
pleasure and particular interests. Amazon can track which products
you've viewed and display a list of similar or related products. Or
it can include an item from your Wish List on another item's product
detail page. When browsing the site, most of the factors that make
the experience unique are hidden from view. But the nature of the
Web—which for the most part consists of simple, text-based
pages addressed by URL—exposes some of these factors, and
allows you to play with the settings embedded in URLs and pages to
exert some minor control over the application and the pages it cooks
up and serves you.
|
