The WELL: A Regionally Based On-Line Community on the Internet
Computer networking involving group dialog (sometimes referred to as the “many-to-many” model) has a value to our society far beyond what can be measured by economics alone.
Archives: Expert Predictions
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
The Clinton-Gore administration came into office determined to understand the promise of information infrastructure, diagnose the barriers to its realization, and solicit the cooperation of Congress, states and communities, and the public realize this promise. This is still an attainable objective. However it will not be attained by leaving applications initiative to commercial firms and leaving the architecture of the communications and computing services to the contention of carriers before the FCC … It would be a serious error to underestimate the importance of building both the institutional capacity and the software to support the public-interest applications.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
A major value of the Internet culture, but possibly a transient value, is the absence of junk mail, advertisements, and oppressive commercialism. If the policies for the development of NII are driven by commercial investment, how can this condition be sustained?
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
The key to the success of Internet is that it was invented by its users … It is essential that as the NII develops, federal regulation must not deny new styles of networking and new kinds of applications. It is not clear that a commercial-entertainment-driven NII will be able to offer such a flexible environment for innovation.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
Maintaining grass-roots communications to Americans around the world not only helps international collaborate among scholars, and the internal communications of multinational firms, but can make this a safer world.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
Internet is not used primarily for point to point communication; the sharing of information is a key value … There is a form of knowledge externality in knowledge sharing. There is a selflessness in the way people in the “Internet Culture” voluntarily collect and share information.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
Actual costs of information sharing, as demonstrated in non-profit bulletin boards and “gopher” services, for example, can be exceedingly low, and does not require a market incentive … We must distinguish between the price of information and price of access.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
The Internet needs to grow another two orders of magnitude before it is as economic as it could and should be. If the Internet becomes completely commercialized, will usage saturate at a level below that best capable of serving all society needs?
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
International access through cooperating networks in other countries is a huge advantage for Americans seeking to compete and collaborate around the world. If international telephony rates were charged end-users, this access would be severely restricted.
Balancing the Commercial and Public-Interest Visions of the NII
Charging by capacity makes network use feel like it is free … Charging by capacity keeps the price close to real cost, and minimizes administering a charge per use. The Regional Bell Operating Companies may prefer to apply the “telephony model” to networks. Will they extend capacity pricing to digital computer networks?