This study examined the context of browsing behaviors. According to uses-and gratifications approach, the motives of World Wilde Web (mentioned as WWW later) generate the expectations of the WWW and the other sources, which lead to differential patterns of browsing behaviors. On-line focus groups were performed three times in December 1999 and January 2000. The criterion used when we choose the respondents of the focus group is that they should have experienced in Internet at least one year. The purpose of the focus groups is to explore the context of browsing. In addition, an on-line survey was undertaken on and . The session of is from March 25, 2000 to April 20, 2000, and the session of is from April 11, 2000 to April 12, 2000. The primary purpose of the survey was to test hypotheses related to browsing motives, browsing strategy motives, and browsing activities. This study found that surfers were segmented into four groups according to the motives of WWW: ritualistic dominant motives, instrumental dominant motives, high motives, and low motives. Besides, the motives of browsing strategies ere probed in this study. Six factors of the motives of browsing strategies were extracted: to increase data completeness, to help awareness of site options, to avoid site redundancy or information duplicate, job factor, no scare at the loss in cyberspace, and to kill time in a high-speed or favorable site. These factors co-operated with browsing skills explaining medium to low variance of the browsing behaviors.

This study examined the context of browsing behaviors. According to uses-and gratifications approach, the motives of World Wide Web (mentioned as WWW later) generate the expectations of the WWW and other sources, which lead to differential patterns of browsing behaviors. On-line facus groups were performed three times in Decemember 1999 and January 2000. The criterion used when we choose the respondents of the focus group is that they should have experienced in Internet at least one year. The purpose of the focus groups is to explore the context of browsing. In addition, an on-line survey was undertaken on http://www.k4.com.tw and http://www.moex.gov.tw. The session of http://www.k4.com.tw is from March 25, 2000 to April 20, 2000, and the session of http://www.moex.gov.tw is from April 11, 2000 to April 12, 2000. The primary purpose of the survey was to test hypotheses related to browsing motives, browsing strategy motives, and browsing activities. This study found that surfers were segmented into four groups accoring to the motives of WWW: ritualistic dominant motives, instrumental dominant motives, high motives, and low motives. Besides, the motives of browsing strategies were probed in this study. Six factors of the motives of browsing strategies were extracted: to increase data completeness, to help awareness of site options, to avoid site redundancy or information duplicate, job factor, no scare at the loss in cyberspace, and to kill time in a high-speed or favorable site. These factors co-operated with browsing skills explaining medium to low variance of the browsing behaviors.