The Bricsnet site, on the other hand, is usable even with dial-up Internet access. When a single site offers product information, news, e-mail, and product specifications, we will see a true construction industry web portal. Until then, we will have to visit many sites to get different types of construction information. One reason Internet information of any kind is still difficult to find is the lack of a standards organization. Libraries have the Library of Congress Control Numbers, International Standard Book Numbers, and other systems for classifying books.
Web pages have no similar standards.
It would be a relatively simple task to include a special tag in all Internet construction documents that would identify the subject content according to MasterFormat. Using such a tag could make it much easier to access construction information related to specific product types. The improved quantity and quality of construction documents on the web has made it easy to find needed information. No one site has links to all manufacturers online, so Internet users must visit two or more of the sites to find a link to a specific manufacturer. Sheldon Wolfe, CSI, CCS, CCCA, is a specifier with BWBR Architects in St. Paul, Minnesota.