Infrastructure Development for e-system

1. Visit http://yahoo.com and http://zope.org as examples of online communities.

a. What is meant by an online community and how is it important for e-commerce?

b. Visit the three auctions sites at http://ebay.com, http://ebay.co.uk and http://ebay.com.au:

i. Is there a common thread and a local community sense in action?

ii. What electronic payment systems are used? Are they globally acceptable?

iii. What are the benefits to of an online auction sale to a buyer, a seller and E-bay owners?

c. Find three others examples of an online business using an online community approach.

2. Visit the famous online store front at http://www.amazon.com

a. Why has it been a successful site? How does the purchase of a book work?

b. Is there any secure transactions not involving money?

c. What is the range of items that you can buy?

d. List the steps involved and comment.