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Yes, I think you're right. Most people like the internet the way it is (at least based on their revealed preferences). That said, I'm not sure there is a better
by jeffreyrogers 8y ago
Yes, I think you're right. Most people like the internet the way it is (at least based on their revealed preferences). That said, I'm not sure there is a better model we can replace it with. Pretty much anyone can think of ways the world could be better, but most of those ways aren't feasible in practice. I think the same is true of most alternative visions of the internet.
- TeMPOraL 8y agoI'm not sure if I like the revealed preferences explanation. Most people weren't asked how would they like their Internet. They don't have any say in it. They accept what they're given, and don't complain much, because there's no one who listens. Most people flock to various Internet sites and services based on lots of reasons, many of which are unrelated to the actual form of a given service. People stick with Facebook or WhatsApp not because of their superior UX choices, but because of network effects. See what happens every time when Facebook changes something in the UI. People will complain very loudly, but will not go elsewhere, because of network effects. Or consider New York Times. They can do absolutely whatever they want with their site without consequences - their readers go there because it's the New York Times. For lots of people, news sites are not substitute goods. I'd wager that most of the services on the Internet aren't substitute goods for majority of people, for one reason or another.