While doing research on various types of web consumers, I came across this excellent report from the Forrester Group by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. They have divided the social media participants into six categories based on how consumers approach social technologies.

A whooping 13% US adult users are creators who publish web pages, write blogs and upload videos to social video sites like YouTube. That is 13 million US adults who are spending time, and occasionally earning money, in creating information. No wonder sometimes I get lost in the web!.

I kept asking myself why do I visit a web site? Besides the creators type, the Forrester's report talks about other social web participants like inactives, spectators, joiners, collectors, and critics. They used this action based classification system to help businesses formulate their social web strategy. I wanted a need or desire based classification. What is my need or desire to visit a web site?

The first clue I got while I was watching the TV. I watch a TV to get information and also for entertainment. I visit a web site to get information. Sometimes I share information using comments or reviews. I do this for the sheer pleasure of expressing my opinions on a topic or my knowledge about a product or service.

I scan digg's offbeat news, visit a game site, read celebrity news, or stumble upon some weird sites for entertainment and pleasures.

Over the past few years lots of us have established a profound interface with the web technology. This interface allows us to discard old ways of doing some of our chores. For example, I hardly go to a bank teller, or send bills using the postal services.

The second clue I got while paying my credit card bills using the bank's online payment system. I visit a site to get stuff done. Even when you visit a classified site to post an ad, you want to accomplish a task, i.e. posting your ad for whatever you are selling.

The web has given me an excellent opportunity to fulfill the desire of acquiring stuff, either for free or by paying money, leaning back on a chair. I will visit your website if you are selling something at a competitive price or giving it away for free.

The new breed of social web sites is my playground to connect with real life friends and also establish virtual friends with the hope of in-person encounters in the future, if possible.

I have found my calling. Give me pleasure (P), information (I), networking (N), task (T) and some shopping (S), I will visit your website.