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 : Aware, Inc. - Hot or cold IPO? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tim McCormick who wrote (2222)	12/9/1997 8:37:00 AM
From: Mason Barge	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9236

<<Digital Warriors Want Baby Bells' Blood>> Tim - great great article. I have something sensible (I hope) and non-technical to say about it. The "digital crowd" is missing something. They are wrapped up in their own world and don't realize that the factors driving the broader mass market for telecommunications (including net connection) are, in order of importance: 1) ease of use, 2) reliability, 3) customer support, 4) speed/technological advancement. The ROBC's absolutely have numbers 1, 2, and 3 hammered down. The PC makers, ISP's, and cable co's are way behind them in all three, and the more tehcnologically advanced they are, the more they fail to see how important it is that, whatever the great innovation, the most important thing to Joe Blow is that it works, not 99% of the time, but 100% of the time. Most people who are going to pay for this don't want to spend time screwing with it. I'm a lawyer and I can't spend an hour a day, or even an hour a week, trying to get an electronic device to work. I have decided that if BellSouth offers xDSL, I'll take it in preference to a cable modem from MediaOne, even if the bandwidth is much less. Why? 1) My telephone is easy to use, 2) my telephone works first time, every time, and 3) if I call BellSouth with a problem (like changing residences, billing error, whatever), a friendly person comes on the phone and sees to it that my need is taken care of. My tv cable only works fairly well. While it is reliable, I despise having to deal with the company. Life is too short and cable tv is not worth too much hassle. Point is, the PC/Internet companies have YET to make a product that even works, much less approach the seamless near-perfection of the ROBS's. The million people who enjoy tinkering with computers as a sort of hobby, and have the degree of interest and skill that it takes to use the product the "digital crowd" offers, are not going to support the kind of capital investment necessary. So this is what politics is about. These people, if they want the advantages (i.e. huge sums of money) that broad mass market brings, are going to have to provide a reliable, easy-to-use product with great customer support. They have not yet shown the ability, or even the desire, to do so. Haven't any of them wondered why AOL is so successful? And to break the 10% penetration barrier, even AOL is going to have to find a way to become easier to use.