A method and apparatus providing network content distribution using a
personal server approach is disclosed. A receiving client is provided
with a personal server that can select, aggregate, and organize one or
more channels of content in a virtual display space of the client.
Selection, aggregation, and organization information is stored only
locally. Raw data representing content is stored at a logically separate
server across a network. Periodically the personal server requests
updated content from the server and stores the content in a local channel
database. The personal server synthesizes or generates one or more
electronic documents containing the content, based on user-defined
virtual space specifications and page organization information. The
personal server then presents the electronic documents to a browser or
other client element. Unlike past approaches that involve distributing
fully formatted content to clients, the personal server can receive raw
data, replace tokens in the raw data with other content, obtain embedded
channel data, and render pages locally, using a conventional browser,
without requiring use of a proprietary viewer, and without sending
channel selections and other personal information across the network to
an untrusted server.