[9082] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
closed systems that sit atop the internet
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Edward Vielmetti)
Thu Dec 16 05:31:55 1993
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 16:31 EST
From: emv@garnet.msen.com (Edward Vielmetti)
To: com-priv@uu.psi.com
: I'm certainly not suggesting that it would be impossible
: to build a closed system that sits atop the Internet.
: This is realistically the only way you will be able to
: limit access where that's desired and there's probably
: going to be a nice market for such things as the net
: grows.
If anything, the process of building "closed systems that sit on
top of the Internet" is going to be the only way for the network
to keep up its pace of growth and innovation over the long run.
Totally open systems have as we have seen to date been deluged (if
they are interesting) or ruined (if they are fragile) by screaming
hordes of users.
A nice, reasonably hermetically sealed, access to off-system
resources planned out in advance and not left to the whims of
chance, and carefully done network service is the likely future
direction and goal. Enough of "the whole wide internet" is imported
as is suits the goals of the system. Most company networks that
have firewalls look like this (except in the opposite direction);
most "big commercial services" that envision internet access sans
a Unix command line are looking the same way.
There will be a few of us net-heads who really do want to be able
to get at anything that anyone on the net has ever done (and are
prepared to compile up client software to make it happen), but the
vast bulk of consumers, be they kids, adults, what have you are
not out there for "everything". They want to get at what they
are looking for with a few menu selections (7 plus or minus 2),
conduct their on line affairs, and get on with things.
Edward Vielmetti, vice president for research, Msen Inc. emv@Msen.com
Msen Inc., 628 Brooks, Ann Arbor MI 48103 +1 313 998 4562 (fax: 998 4563)
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