Five Clues for Geeks

(1). Intermediaries add value.

The Internet does not mean that the destiny is for producers to launch creative works directly to consumers. On the contrary the low cost of producing on computers and distributing over the Internet means that filtering by intermediaries becomes even more important.

(2). Property is not evil.

Searls and Weinberger point out that the Internet works most efficiently when it does not attempt to discriminate among the different types of bits that are carried over it.

However, they write as if discrimination is linked to property - that private ownership leads to discrimination. In fact, large parts of the Internet backbone are privately owned without threatening nondiscrimination. Conversely, even where television and telephone systems are not in the private sector, they are administered to limit certain types of content to certain media.

(3). Computer animation is not a killer application. ( RIA's may be ! )

Geeks who impress one another with fancy Flash stuff and other animated pyrotechnics are kidding themselves if they think that the rest of us care. The typical reaction to just eye candy, no purpose animated web sites is to leave as fast as you can click.

(4). Bashing Microsoft does not make you smart.

Microsoft makes business mistakes. Microsoft software is imperfect. However, its competitors have made business mistakes that are worse. And competing software has been imperfect in ways that are more significant to many users. Just because you are thrilled with the way that some Linux-based app runs on your Mac does not mean that the clueless guggles ( Non-geeks, ala Muggles) would be better off without WindowsTM.

(5). Markets are not exploitative.

The attempt to replace markets with communitarian sharing tends to deprive people of freedom. It also tends to slow the pace of innovation, because markets are more ruthless about letting outmoded companies and processes "fail faster."