Roger Clarke wrote:
>
> Is there *anything* of substance in AOL's claims to be different? Even the
> tariff is similar to Big Pond and Ozemail. So it's just the rhetoric,
> right? If enough people believe, then it comes true? Hopefully, the
> Australian public will be as sceptical about these smooth-talkers as they
> were about the MSN 'special zone of the Internet' (remember that failed
> venture?).
i think it would be a mistake to write-off AOL, their business model
is more evolved and more sophisticated, and they did after all,
demolish MSN and put the man who gets private audiences with Prime
Ministers and Cabinets out of action in the online services front. OK,
most linkers would probably say that beating Bill is not too hard...
i have no idea where Roger's Nationalism comes into play, hoping that
Australians will "defeat" [my word] the "smooth-talkers". All i can
say is that the Internet and online services belong as much to the
people who are going to get on tommorow as they do to gurus such as
Roger who have been on for more years that most remember - and that our
current values and preferences may in fact not reflect what people
out there feel. We all hated the idea of Keating's Australian
government living on a few disk drives in Redmond WA just because Bill
or Daniel were smooth talkers, but i dont think that is what AOL is
talking about.
having said that, why politicians would be interested in technology
other than to give away more tax dollars as "incentives".....?
- does anyone know if the brilliant minds in Canberra and State
Capitals are still doing this? did AOL get any? how do we all get
some - do we go overseas?
I will try the 100 hours of free access (although the IE part of the
browser gives me the creeps) and maybe some of the Chat. But then
again, I feel like a dinosaur on the Internet, resisting the Gary
Larson cigarette. Alternatively, maybe Roger can set up a buddy list
so we can see if other linkers are online (does one exist now?)
Ramin