History of the Portal Market

Part II

The Internet, and the on-line evolution.

At this point in time destiny and fate became the driving force by introducing Willard to a man by the name of Rick Web, shown here at a compter work station. Rick had heard of the attempts with the Portal Market in Middletown, and called to see if he could come up to the mountains to help out. The irony of Web being Rick's last name, and his introducing the World Wide Web in June of 1994 to Willard, led to the eventual placement of the Portal Market on the internet. At first the Portal Market was only an ftp (file transfer protocol) site on Netcom's server in San Jose. Never-the-less the Portal Market announced its place on the internet. Somehow the wisdom of placing the Portal Market on a system whereby anybody in the world could look at the products and services seemed like a grand idea. The Internet was in its infancy in 1994, and the philosophy surrounding the future of the internet was global in scope, and was also a way to serve all of humanity.

After the major work on the Earth Portals web site was finished it was obvious it had to have a home (a server). Another set of coincidences unveiled themselves when it was learned that there was another individual by the name of Howard Pealmutter who had a web site that dealt with ecological issues. The name of that web site was Eco-Media (no longer exists). Howard was estactic to learn that a neighbor in this mountain outpost in Hidden Valley also had the same concerns. Through Howard's generosity he gave server space to house Earth Portals.

The systems manager for that web server was Cinnamon Sky, and it is Cinnamon who helped with all the HTML coding and Unix details to make sure Earth Portals worked on all levels. By 1995, Cinnamon Sky had become the owner/operator of her own design & Internet hosting service, SkyWebs, LLC, that began in Mendocino county and then moved to Marin County, California. By this time I had begun receiving phone calls & checks in the mail from around the world, for all the products represented in the Portal Market.

In 1998, Cinnamon told me that it was time for a professional “shopping cart” type of ordering system, and that based on my present sales activity—sales would double as soon as it was online. Given SkyWebs’ successful track record in installing these kinds of sites, I said “do it!” The Portal Market's E-commerce solution was implemented by Cinnamon herself, using Open Market's ShopSite Manager. This provided my global audience with more efficient ways to order products and services over the Internet, and sure enough—sales doubled that first month, and continue to increase!! In late 1999, Cinnamon sold her existing client bas and server technologies to a larger E-commerce hosting provider in New York City. Her portfolio is at Sky-Portal.com, and we have collaborated on a couple of projects together since.

The realization that it was possible to offer goods and services to a global audience also expanded the whole idea and conceptualization of the Portal Market so that it would include a much broader idea than just the Portal Market. This idea of global inclusivity finally led to the umbrella name of Earth Portals. The Portal Market satisfied one aspect of human needs, but there needed to be a Portal that also satisfied peoples spiritual needs. It did not take long to realize that humankind has used the term portal as a way to indicate entry into another space or another realm of existence. Portal was a doorway to God Head around the world, and many temples and monuments were constructed as indications of the rising sun at the vernal equinox or to align the line of site with a particular star system.

Mt. St. Helena

Click on photo for larger view

The birth place of Earth Portals occurred in the foothills surrounding Mt. St. Helena. Lake County was home to the Pomo Indians, and before any business was done with Earth Portals a peace offering was made to the elders of the Pomo indian tribe in Lakeport, CA by White Wolf, brother of Rain on the Earth. The spirits are very strong in these hills, and many hot springs and geysers are seen everyday with plumes of steam seen coming out of the hills against the sunset. The hills are full of wolfs and deer and there is a sense that those Pomo indian spirits are still there. Many lessons were learned on how to communicate with the great spirit of Mt. St. Helena or the mother as some refer to the mountain.. Ceremonies were held on the uppermost northern ridge of the mountain as a way to honor our native american ancestors, and ask for guidance when the Portal Market was brought down to the city of San Francisco to begin offering the goods and services that were originally developed in Middletown, California.

Selecting the name Earth Portals was a way to indicate the many ways the concept of portal could be used in describing entry into all these other spaces. The portals grew in number, and today there are many portals on the Earth Portals web site. The following are the current portals of exploration. Each one is always under construction by adding new content and changing connections that no longer may work. This is truly a work in progress.

The evolution of the content of Earth Portals grew over the years, but always keeping the basic structure in tact. Early on in the design of Earth Portals their was a book called The World Wide Web Unleashed by Dr. John December from upstate New York. It was in this book that the design strategy of incorporating interconnecting networks on the web site was taken to heart.

Since Earth Portals was going to be a web site offering transformational ideas every link and every inclusion had to fit somehow into the overall contact and structure of the web site. Today in the beginning of 1998 there are well over 380 links to other web sites, and well over 300 pages, and the growth of other web sites with similar content and the same kind of interests is also growing. Links to Earth Portals in other web sites has reached over 500, and many of the featured articles on Earth Portals is included in many other web sites. The latest stastistics show over 100,00 hits per month to the Earth Portals web site.

As of July 22, 2002 Alta Vista shows over 2000 web sites have linked to Earth Portals.

Given the exponential growth of the internet what form will Earth Portals take as it constantly expands its offerings? This is an excellent question and one that is looked at daily. What is the main objective of Earth Portals?

The Answer:

To offer spiritual direction, and goods and services which truly helps the mind, body and spirit with the stewardship of the Earth always in mind. The internet is a collective of all of humanities ideas. However, not all of humanity has the better interest of the Earth or its people in mind. There is much healing on the planet to be done, and a real concern for the quality of life, and the respect for all living things. All people must join together to share and to constrain unchecked growth and using of limited resources. A better way must be found to provide quality living at the same time having Earth always nurtured. For it is the Earth that gives us the sustenance to live and grow. With the internet we can express our like minded Earth sustaining thoughts and ideas and encourage others to take a serious look at how we can all use this new technological telecomunications wonder to bring balance and control to our beleaguered planet and the souls of her inhabitants.

Future Implementation:

On February 15, 1998 a Delta II rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Station to deploy four Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd. satellites into low Earth orbit. By the end of the year, Globalstar expects to launch 44 telecommunications satellites into space, providing worldwide wireless communications for a new generation of internet access. AltaVista search engine today announced its "Translator Search Engine" where any url or text can now be translated into French, German, Italian, Portugese, Spanish and more thus enabling people around the world to read web sites in their own language. Stock brokerage houses and securities investment houses are all going on line. E-Commerce will be growing at an ever rapid rate.

The Portal Market finally launched its own E-commerce enabled web site in November of 1999 using icentral's ShopSite Manager. It will be the goal of the Portal Market to travel to any place on Earth and look at what is needed for local sustainability. Most recently a trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand in November of 1999 brought back Hilltribe creations for the global market. With a digital camera new ideas, that are available for global commerce, can be instantly recorded, and sent to the host server thus enabling instant transactions for the global marketplace. Global credit card transactions will enable access to transfering funds to needed local solutions as well as to enable continual traveling to other parts of the globe. It will be possible for the Portal Market to offer products and services from all peoples around the globe using wireless communications with portable computers. It will be possible to educate and display new ideas to people to further their comprehension and decision making abilities to solve local problems for healthy and strong spiritual growth.

It will then be possible for money to be allocated from the profits attained through this global economic endeavor to help others reach their own potential and communicate with other resources and financial reserves accumulated by like minded marketing sites. The International Monetary Fund through its own strategies to help large national economies can act as a model for smaller "Earth Spiritual Funds" to support families and children and local indigenous people the world over. One thing is certain, a new model of evolutionary growth using the internet is taking place, and with the right mindset and appropriate actions all peoples can prosper and live a balanced and healthy life while always keeping the integrity of the Earth in mind.

Participation:

If you have ideas and suggestions on how you personally see this new future expanding please feel to write to me. If you would like to participate in the growth of the Portal Market through consultancy action or investment strategies also contact me. We are all on the brink of a new future, and with the appropriate concerns kept first and foremost in our minds we will all be able to support and re-direct a planet that until now has been globally unconscious, but is now becoming one united family.

Portal Market History Part III - The Portal Market moves into the 21st Century.