User station software that controls transport, storage, and presentation of content from a remote source

The present invention relates to computer-implemented transport of electronic information objects. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and corresponding software for automatically pre-fetching additional data objects referenced by a first data object. A method for operating a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps of receiving a first data object from one of the data sources, and automatically pre-fetching a plurality of additional data objects of arbitrary type referenced by the first data object from respective other ones of the independently-operated data sources identified by information embedded in the first data object. Corresponding software is also described.