The Internet is a wonderful resource, but what I really love about it is how it makes existing aspects of my life even better. I’m not going to lie; I’m a diehard TV junkie. The amount of time I spend watching TV far exceeds the time I spend online. However maybe there should be a third category here – the time I spend online due to watching TV. At this point, nearly every television network has a corresponding website dedicated to the shows that can be watched on TV. I’m not really one who reads sitcom blogs, however some the network websites have a practical use and my favorite is the food network.
About 95 percent of the time that I spend watching the food network is purely for its entertainment value. The other 5 percent I’ll see a recipe that looks intriguing and may feel the need to test my culinary prowess to reproduce the recipe. In case you’re wondering, this usually turns out to be a bad idea. Now, pre-Internet times I have no idea what someone in my predicament would do. I know the food network or other cooking shows were around before the Internet, but seriously what did people do when they wanted a recipe from the cooking show? Were they watching TV with a pen in hand, taking notes? That requires enough work to make me forget about wanting to cook in the first place.
The fact is that today when I see a potential recipe on TV I can easily find that exact same recipe on the food network’s website. Their website offers recipes that can be searched by date aired, host/chef, or main ingredients. The search results can also be sorted by the difficulty of each recipe and its overall user rating. Once you click on an appealing recipe, you are directed to a web page containing the actual recipe along with other recommended recipes for related appetizers, side dishes, desserts, etc.
The food network website also allows users to submit their own recipes, which can then be rated by other users. The food network is just one example of how our routine to watch TV is being utilized to incorporate our use of the Internet. There is really no defined line between what belongs on TV and the Internet. These two channels of entertainment and information are merging in a collaborative way. The Internet provides a way to bring an interactive sense to simply watching our favorite TV shows.
About 95 percent of the time that I spend watching the food network is purely for its entertainment value. The other 5 percent I’ll see a recipe that looks intriguing and may feel the need to test my culinary prowess to reproduce the recipe. In case you’re wondering, this usually turns out to be a bad idea. Now, pre-Internet times I have no idea what someone in my predicament would do. I know the food network or other cooking shows were around before the Internet, but seriously what did people do when they wanted a recipe from the cooking show? Were they watching TV with a pen in hand, taking notes? That requires enough work to make me forget about wanting to cook in the first place.
The fact is that today when I see a potential recipe on TV I can easily find that exact same recipe on the food network’s website. Their website offers recipes that can be searched by date aired, host/chef, or main ingredients. The search results can also be sorted by the difficulty of each recipe and its overall user rating. Once you click on an appealing recipe, you are directed to a web page containing the actual recipe along with other recommended recipes for related appetizers, side dishes, desserts, etc.
The food network website also allows users to submit their own recipes, which can then be rated by other users. The food network is just one example of how our routine to watch TV is being utilized to incorporate our use of the Internet. There is really no defined line between what belongs on TV and the Internet. These two channels of entertainment and information are merging in a collaborative way. The Internet provides a way to bring an interactive sense to simply watching our favorite TV shows.
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