[10699] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Internet vs Minitel : a futuristic view of the network evolution ?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dave Crocker)
Sun Mar 6 03:29:18 1994
To: LEHOUX@vax.lse.ac.uk
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
Date: Sat, 05 Mar 94 17:00:50 -0800
From: Dave Crocker <dcrocker@mordor.stanford.edu>
In criticizing the Internet, or espousing the success of an
alternative, I believe the key to the analysis must not be the
specifics to any problems discerned, but rather the history either
shows in being able to fix or adapt to those problems.
For example, gopher and the web are terribly flawed as search
mechanism. Simple menu-based, step-wise searching just doesn't cut it
for large scale searches. Find something and then have fun finding it
again. (Bookmarks are not a scalable solution.) But then note that
this "terrible flaw" is only significant as a result of their
astonishing success at creating connectivity to such a wide range and
large amount of information. Problems and limitations with Internet
technology keep cropping up. People keep fixing and enhancing.
If the Internet isn't way past self-sustaining critical mass, it
sure is doing a good imitation.
Dave
