Monday, November 15, 2010

Should we fear the Internet monopolists?

No, they come and go. Google used to be Yahoo used to be AltaVista, or some order. The Amazon model is dead if it is based on central distribution, E bay works. But even E Bay is becoming a protocol, not a business.

What is FaceBook? A database format for storing user information on the web with controlled security. It will be 'cut-n-pasted' to other forms.

What is PayPal? A bunch of scripts that gets passed around on web sites. If three bank executive agree on a payment protocol then PayPal is replaced by a ten page standardization document.

The Apple IPad? A netbook computer without the keyboard. What makes it work is the point and click style of web browsing and the flat screen. Pad technology becomes a commodity as the chip sets become more common.

On the Internet we have hits, like hit movies, as in 'Boy, Google was a hit while it lasted'. One thing that makes Google a business model is the open source concept, not the search engine. Android will take them farther in the long run.

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