[9164] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
an Internet buying coop?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Barry Shein)
Sun Dec 19 23:24:39 1993
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 22:53:41 -0500
From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
To: com-priv@psi.com, communet@nysernet.org, nii_agenda@civicnet.org
In-Reply-To: Matthew Kaufman's message of Sun, 19 Dec 1993 19:28:10 -0800 <199312200328.TAA28354@echo.com>
What I still don't understand, and I realize I'm a difficult case, is
why all this obsession over pricing? In the past few years getting on
the internet has become quite inexpensive, and the price continues to
drop and the value rise. Coverage is expanding so rapidly that it's
probably safe to say that the vast majority of people in the USA
anyhow are a local call away from interactive use of the net, and more
and more are being offered direct, local access every day.
As a contrast, interactive access to the internet is much, much less
expensive than other, previous on-line services. And in many ways they
offer the same features (e.g. e-mail, discussion groups, on-line
information tho not as well developed), and more, and less (it's
different.)
Is it just that standing up and saying "I'm going to get you all
everything you want for free!" is just such a sure crowd-pleaser,
regardless of how small the likelihood that one will deliver on such a
promise, that it's just irresistible to do so?
One real problem that's not being addressed is that a claimed
motivation for this ultra-low-cost/free access is to make it available
to more and more people who might not now see any value in it. But
aren't those same people the ones who will need more support to ever
appreciate the value or make use of the net? So where's that going to
come from in this low-ball scenario?
I've often said on these lists that the problem, if there is one, with
the net is not the cost, but the (perception of) value. There are few
people in this country who are likely to make use of the nets (e.g.
have PC's and modems and wherewithal) yet can't shell out the
$20/month or thereabouts for an account.
I dunno, it just seems to me that greater good can be accomplished in
other areas than merely trying to make it cheap/cheap/cheap, below
$20/month or whatever. There's just not a whole lot of downside there.
For example, what would seem valuable would be getting govt more and
more involved on a daily and real basis on the net. Things like
letting someone renew their motor vehicle registration (we can do that
by paper mail in MA, how different is e-mail?), send e-mail to the
tens of thousands of people in govt whose jobs it is to answer
specific questions either on their agency or on specific topics (I
assume there are still those sorts of folks who will tell you what the
major garden pests and appropriate pesticides in your area and so on),
peruse and order literature that's available (like those late night
Pueblo, CO ads promise), find out what's happening with local and
national govt (bills, votes, etc.), and so on.
Also, educating *small* businesses about the value of the nets,
helping them figure out how to use it, etc.
I mean, far be it for me to tell anyone what to do, but there's
something a little tired about ``we can get it for you WHOLESALE!'',
it just sounds like a scam or at best naive (or perhaps just a little
late in the game, it's just not the issue it may have been a few years
ago.)
-Barry Shein
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