Quality information, was Re: Surfwatch...

[Kevin C. Marsh]

>>Howard White <hwhite at ccs.neu.edu>
>>...
>   Financial Times, 15 February, 1996
>
>   Cyberlaws [Editorial]
>...
>   The currently imperfect state of protection is one reason
>   why much cyberinformation is junk, of value to almost
>   nobody, deposited partly to stir up interest in paidfor
>   services beyond the Net. However, new ways to restrict
>   access to parts of the Net, and to charge for subscriptions
>   to that information, may address that shortcoming.
>   ...
Sorry if this sounds like a flame, but this editorial hit one of my
hot-buttons...

It seems to me that the information providers who are doing well on the Net
have found ways to make money without charging users for information (Yahoo,
InfoSeek, etc.)  Others (libraries, museums) are providing valuable content
without the intent of making a profit.  The currently available "junk"
includes a wide spectrum of useful information, from the Mona Lisa to fairly
current stock prices.  

I think the greatest potential for improvement of the Internet lies in more
networked access to libraries and archives who own the copyrights to their
materials or whose materials are in the public domain.  Another growth area
is the provision of desirable, quality information as a means of selling
advertising space.  Which has been a more successful business model, "free"
broadcast television or pay-per-view? 

Commercial copyrighted pay-per-view content is all well and good, and I'm
sure that more of it is coming to the Internet.  But the Internet was built
on open access to information, it has grown phenomenally with minimal
pay-per-view content, and it shows every sign of continued growth despite
this "shortcoming".  Perhaps the Financial Times editors are just mad
because they aren't making enough money off the Net, or perhaps they can't
see the value of information that doesn't cost the user money.  Someone
should sell them a clue.

Kevin C. Marsh, Executive Director
Information Access Institute
IAI at neosoft.com     http://www.neosoft.com/~iai