There are many types of Web sites. Some provide you with information, some try to sell you things, some let you search for other sites, and others are just fun to look at. In fact, the Web is composed of so many different sites that it's sometimes hard to figure out where you are and where you want to go. Face it-the World Wide Web is extremely disorganized.

Fortunately, there are several Web sites that try to create order out of the chaos of the Web. These sites are called portal sites, because they provide a portal to the entire World Wide Web. Most portal sites organize the content of the Web into familiar categories, and provide some or all of the following proprietary content and services:

• Chat and Instant Messaging
• Classified advertising
• Forums and topic-related communities
• Links to online retailers
• News, weather, and other current information
• Real-time online games
• Search engines (to find specific information on the Web)
• Stock quotes and other financial information
• Web-based email

One of the most popular Web portals is Netscape Netcenter, shown in Figure 1.4. The rest of this book tells you about the services and content available on Netscape Netcenter, and shows you how to get the most out of this essential Web site.