Re: FW: Careful. This is for information only.
Lets suppose that someone launches a proprietary version of the
Interent, called MSN or AOL for the sake of example. It will have to be paid
for. The free Internet will remain free. It cannot be taken away from
us. And even if the new proprietary version were subsidised for a few
years and thus got the majority of people used to it, when the price
gets passed on, people will return to the free Internet.
That's why I think Cringely is a little wrong on this score. I remember
in the mid-90s the English football clubs tried to charge for access to
the "official team web sites." It failed because the fans own sites
were free, more passionate and better informed because they weren't
filtered by Pr/marketing types. Anyone chucking a few billion into
replacing the free Internet will have to have a very convincing case as
to how they can get their money back. I can't see what that case would
be.
--
Patrick "sig free and joyful"" Kirk
GSM: +44 7876 560 646
ICQ: 42219699
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