Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (25576)	7/23/1999 3:36:00 PM
From: James Fulop	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93625

>can you tell, i'm busy?< LOL Okay, how about a comment on this? I don't think it is a big deal, but any comments are appreciated...... ebns.com

To: unclewest who wrote (25576)	7/23/1999 3:55:00 PM
From: Dave B	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93625

OTOTOTOTOTOT Free PCs and free internet access? The world just keeps getting better and better. Apparently this was originally published in the May issue of Windows Magazine, but was reprinted in the August issue, which is where I saw it. Dave p.s. My nephew figured out how to turn off the NetZero ads and 30-minute time-out. If any of the regulars want to use NetZero, PM me and I'll tell you what he told me. If I don't know you, I can't pass this along, obviously. -------------------------- Free Net Access: The Next Big Thing Mike Elgan Here in these United States, almost everyone pays for Internet access. We pay $10, $20, $30 or more per month to connect to the wonderful world of cyberspace. But I think all that's about to change: The Next Big Thing will be a tidal wave of free Internet access. Other English-speaking countries are way ahead of us on this. In the United Kingdom, there are plenty of options for free access. Free4All, UK Fantastic, SoftNet Free, FreeNet, Telinco and others give U.K. residents dial-up access, e-mail and other services--often including free space and tools for building their own Web sites. Even Microsoft is getting into the act. Starting June 8, access in the U.K. via the Microsoft Network (MSN) will be free of charge to MSN members in the U.K., as well as all new subscribers. The service will be called MSN FreeWeb. The company is doing this because MSN membership has been actually dropping due to competition from the free ISPs. In reality, access isn't really free--U.K. residents pay for local calls, and the phone system there enables ISPs to get a piece of the phone bill if their volume is high enough. Both the local toll call and the ISP previously sent a bill, but that model collapsed when major free ISP services came online. Though their piece of the toll calls bring ISPs some money, the real income is through advertising. There's a similar phenomenon occurring in Australia. Some ISPs are giving away Internet access, but with limitations. For example, EISA gives away 5 free hours a month, but you pay for access beyond that. Competition is heating up, and now there's a war to see which ISPs can attract the most subscribers by giving away the most free access. Of course, in the U.S., we have a few free ISPs, most notably NetZero, which is advertising supported. But the free-ISP movement really hasn't taken off. Yet. Here's why free ISPs are the Next Big Thing: The portal model of attracting eyeballs is failing miserably. A portal is a Start page with lots of goodies and services designed to attract a huge number of demographically desirable consumers. That Web traffic attracts advertisers and content providers who pay you for the exposure to eyeballs. Originally, there were just a few portals like Yahoo, Netscape and MSN. But since portals seem to offer a way to actually make money on the Web, everybody's getting into the act. Now there are literally thousands of portals out there, each competing for increasingly distracted and apathetic audiences. Dow Jones, for example, recently launched a business portal at dowjones.com. Bloomberg just opened up a portal for Spanish-speaking investors. Heck, even coffee pusher Starbucks is rumored to be getting into the portal act (no Java jokes, please). So what happens when every search engine, software company, content provider and coffee joint in the world has its own portal? How is anyone going to make any money? The ultimate goal of content providers on the Internet has always been the creation of a TV-like captive audience that can be spoon-fed advertising. That was the goal of push content, and that's the goal of portals. But offering great content and free e-mail doesn't work anymore because everybody is doing it. According to Media Metrix, the total number of unique visitors to the top 25 Web sites fell .4 percent to 64.97 million in the month of April, down from 65.25 million in March, even though the number of people online keeps growing. People are discovering that they don't have to go to the same generic portal sites. That's why portal vendors will find a way to give away access but require their portal as the Start page. This Faustian model is almost as loathsome as the practice of giving away free PCs in exchange for force-fed advertising--you become part of a captive audience. Personally, I don't want to be held captive--freedom of choice being one of the core attributes of cyberspace--and would be willing to pay for the freedom to choose or build my own Start page. But will the free-ISP portal model work? Would you be willing to use MSN, America Online or Yahoo as your Start page in exchange for free Internet access? Do you think others would?