They could do that, but it’s in direct contradiction to the free market. When you implement protocols, what you’re doing is enacting a non-compete agreement on

They could do that, but it’s in direct contradiction to the free market. When you implement protocols, what you’re doing is enacting a non-compete agreement on those specifications. It’s a collusion of sorts, it’s just one we allow because everyone knows it’s good. But inevitably, someone comes around and creates something better and new. And it is actually better. Because the problem with standards is they age. They’re fundamentally compromises. They have flaws by their nature. You even mention innovation. Those are two contradictory ideas. Centralization and standardization are anti-innovation, because they favor status-quo. They tend towards longevity, maintenance, and incremental improvement. Building the Internet on top of voice lines was certainly a shitty solution. It was slow. But it also allowed existing citizens to access the Internet. I think this perfectly exemplifies the trade-off. We, of course, can build new infrastructure. But when we do, we do it deliberately, centrally, and slowly. And we’re very careful to leave no gaps. The old and new must exist together, at least for a couple decades.