From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Message-ID: <6585c39236c2e3f2ad32986b228e84f1@quanstro.net>
From: erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:29:04 -0500
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] Investigating the Plan 9 Operating System - OSNews.com
In-Reply-To: <44C9049D.2060603@village.com>
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while you are right, the net did loose some things when everybody hopped on.
there wasn't any spam.  internet services were unblocked.  &c.

on the other hand, network bandwidth was poor and there was very little
content available.  neither google nor wikipedia would exist without the
unwashed masses.

i don't think the evolution of the net (or computers for that matter) is a story
of the good old days and constant regression or the converse.  i think it's a story
of (slightly?  how pessamistic are you?) more advances than regressions.

- erik

On Thu Jul 27 13:24:54 CDT 2006, wes@village.com wrote:
> Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> >
> > see, the arpanet, ca. 1976, where we all trusted each other. Once the
> > masses came in, it was all over.
> 1. CIX and others provided alternate backbones to NSF, enabling
> commercial traffic
> 2. Delphi (which I founded) saw the resulting opportunity and started
> bringing in the masses
> 3. Delphi was purchased by Rupert Murdoch, who thought the Net was a
> broadcast medium and thus blew it big time
> 4. AOL seized on the resulting vacuum and brought in the masses of masses.
>
> So money transformed the Net from an ivy league faculty club into Real
> Life. Could you envision any other outcome?
>
> Money is one of those things that removes civilization from
> civilization. And money always finds a way in. And yes, I did my part.