http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1390273,00.asp
The bloom may be off the Internet rose, according to this article, if something is not done to correct abuses. There may be something in this: initially the resistance to using the Net in its widest sense was the learning curve. While graphic interfaces and helper applications have reduced this, they have not eliminated it -- put another way, there are some inbuilt barriers to using the Net, even if it functions perfectly. But when people see it as a source of problems rather than solutions [even if it is just the experience which is being affected -- something I was powerfully reminded of last night when I closed my 4th pop-up ad, and thought "Man, this is getting a bit much; the enjoyment:effort ratio is starting to become unfavourable. If the sponsors doing the popups could only see how annoying they are, to the point I will voluntarily boycott a product/service which is not site-connected, they might cease and desist"] -- then they will stay away in droves.
While this has negative consequences, it might not be entirely bad -- a reduced-scale InterNet might be less commercial, might have less congestion, and would be less of a temptation to malware/scumware writers, scam artists, and advertisers who apparently need to be taught social responsibility through the application of creative disfigurement.
Of course it could all be corrected, but I don't see much hope of that. The evolution of parasitic activity on the Net parallels the equally tenacious hold of parasites (like politicians) in the rest of society, for a simple reason: the strategy works for the parasite, and if there is no easy counter, will continue to do so.
Another article which looks at this set of problems from a quite different perspective, in relation to connectivity threats, can be found here:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/11/21/46FEtrouble_1.html
Others, who think that we are best served by scrapping the existing InterNet structure and starting all over again are represented by the following articles:
http://eletters1.ziffdavis.com/cgi-bin10/DM/y/eUgd0CyMye0HX60v1d0AN
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=58-mr3xIdJfwQnk9tNirDIjtb0CM9RR
Posted by jho at November 22, 2003 11:50 AM