[10747] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Internet vs Minitel : a futuristic view of the network e
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Rob Main)
Mon Mar 7 21:07:08 1994
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 94 15:15:20 EST
From: "Rob Main" <rmain@nas.edu>
To: com-priv@psi.com
[As way of introduction, I am Rob Main, manager of the advanced technology
group at the National Academy of Sciences. I've been "lurking" on the list for
awhile.]
In some respects comparing the Minitel network with Internet is apples and
oranges. You have to be careful in predicting that one will supplant the other.
They are based, as has been said, on very different architectural models with
different philosophies and markets. The Minitel system I believe has a central
"well" where all information providers go to post their wares. This is more
like the centralized Compuserve and Prodigy models, than the distributed nature
of Internet. One of the things that makes the Internet a fundamentally unique
phenomenon is that everyone can potentially be an information provider or
producer. There is no central clearing house for information. It's
self-organizing. I also think that it is may be a little too early to attempt
to draw too many comparisons between Minitel and Internet as we haven't yet
begun to see the impact that the growth of Internet into homes will have.
That Internet is more difficult to use than Minitel may have been true, but I'm
not sure that is the case today (or certainly not tomorrow) if you look at the
spread of Mosaic, WAIS, etc. compared to the Minitel software. One of the most
powerful distinctions of the Internet over other models is the ability to
distribute a new software interface virtually overnight. Another is that it can
support many more types of devices and interfaces according to an individual's
budget and style. That is, it doesn't require a central management. This means
it can adapt much more rapidly to changing market pressures and new
capabilities.
Rob Main
rmain@nas.edu
