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WHY WON'T THE INTERNET GO AWAY?
by Brian Grainger: 
brian@grainger1.freeserve.co.uk
I was recently reading, in Computer Weekly, a review of a book 'The E-business Advantage' by Martin Butler and Thomas Power. I believe it has a message for those who have not understood why we have to embrace the Internet.
Martin says:
'there are too many global village idiots hopping uncertainly up and down on the edge of this new ocean of economic enterprise. They are the firms who vainly hope the Internet will either go away, come to nothing, or prove to be nothing more than a novelty toy.
'Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sacred cows make the best burgers. The Internet is the grill to flame those burgers on.
'The Internet has delivered a global, connected (real-time) marketplace which cannot safely be ignored.'
I think Martin echoes my own thoughts. No matter how tentatively we view the Internet, it isn't going to go away and we have to use it or die. Many still do not understand the implications of this. To their credit the present government has embraced the Internet and are encouraging the wiring up of schools, libraries et. al. However, the debates that go on concerning;
censorship of pornography
the right of the police to demand viewing rights to e-mail sent
data protection
levy of tax on e-business.
show that the government and Europe do not get the full message. The Internet is global. If the UK or Europe is going to compete in e-business it is not going to succeed by creating regulations that competitors (mainly the USA) do not. Already the USA has the advantage in the cost to the consumer of using the Internet. The free local phone calls, and until recently cheaper subscription charges, means that consumers will use the net more than we will. This encourages a wider e-business market. We have a choice. Our policies will converge to a global standard or they will not and we will erect a barrier around the UK and Europe which will fence us off from the rest of the world.
At a more local level the implications of the Internet and e-commerce will start to affect shops. We have seen bookshops on the net which can offer much cheaper books. These are usually American based and the low cost is offset by the cost of paying in dollars and custom and excise duties. These services are starting to become UK based and when they do the economies of scale should start bringing the prices down to a level at which traditional shops cannot compete. Then, at long last, we might see book and CDs at more realistic prices as competition ensures there can be no massive mark ups as now.
The world is changing to a new model of society. There is not much than can be done about it unless someone prohibits access to the Internet, but that is another story.
