(Shelly Cashman Series) Gary B. Shelly, H. Albert Napier, Ollie N. Rivers-Web design_ introductory concepts and techniques -Cengage Learning (2008)

Ways to Access the Internet and the Web 11
A third type of e-commerce is consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce. In
C2C e-commerce, business transactions occur between consumers. Examples of C2C
e-commerce include online auctions and person-to-person classified ads. eBay and
craigslist (Figure 1-14) are examples of an online auction and classified ad site, respectively.
Figure 1-14 C2C e-commerce involves the sale or exchange of products and services between
consumers.
Other organizations, such as nonprofit charities and government agencies, also employ
B2C and B2B technologies to provide information and services to their constituencies.
To develop an e-commerce Web site, you must determine the potential customers
for your products or services. Additionally, you must decide which e-commerce
technologies, such as shopping cart and credit card processing technologies, are
best suited for your e-commerce site.
DESIGN
TIP
Ways to Access the Internet and the Web
Users access the Internet and Web using a variety of means. In the past, the most
common way to access the Internet was using a dial-up telephone line; but today, faster
access methods, including digital dedicated lines, cable broadband, and wireless transmissions,
are increasingly the access method of choice for both individuals and organizations.
The effect of Internet access speeds on Web design considerations is discussed in Chapter 2.
Telephone Lines Access
One way to access Web sites is through the Public Switched Telephone Network. The
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the worldwide telephone system that
handles voice-oriented telephone calls (Figure 1-15). Although initially built to handle
voice communications, the telephone network also is an integral part of computer communications.
Data, instructions, and information can be sent over the telephone network
using dial-up lines or dedicated lines.