Time Warner and Procter and Gamble's ParentTime[TM] World Wide Web site incorporates a number of technological innovations. The navigability of the site is derived from an editorial-based search technique that relies on editorial choice and the users' profile in narrowing and defining areas and topics of interest - rather than being based on browsing through static HTML pages.When users come to the service for the first time, they answer two questions - tell us what kind of parent you are and the age of your child which immediately helps focus the search and guide the user directly to areas of interest. For example, if a user says they have a child between 6 months and 1 year, the search engines already know to limit information about a certain topic to articles containing information about the subject for parents with children in the 6 month to 1 year category.
When editors read articles for inclusion in the site, they tag the articles based on a number of criteria, such as the age of the child. From the start, the breadth of information is narrowed for a particular user to include only that information pertinent to his/her child.
Using this and other filters based on a user's profile and browsing habits, navigation through the site consists of moving through various "branches" of a tree. The tree structure consists of static HTML pages with linked menus, and as the user progresses "up" the tree, they encounter articles about subjects that interest him or her. These "leaves" of data are created dynamically from the database and served up to the user on demand. In that way, the experience of examining a particular topic changes from search to search as new information becomes available or as a child's age changes. The site even tracks the age of the user's child. It takes this into consideration each time the user enters the site.
Other innovative features include the ability to create and save personal bookmarks within the site and several never-before-seen databases of baby names and medical advice. Users can also add their own personal experiences to articles they are reading. If, for example, you are reading an article that triggers something, you can respond then and there and add your thoughts to the ParentTime archive. It's these technological innovations that distinguish ParentTime and make it a real service for parents.
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