Great post Phillip!

I'm not sure I agree with the funnel metaphor however, as in my mind a funnel acts a lot like a portal, by collecting lots of disparate content and squeezing it into a single site. After all, isn't a portal a type of container for content?

Another kitchen utensil, the sieve, does the opposite. It filters out the stuff you don't want, letting only the desired material through.

So that's what your clients need: web sieves! :)