Re: commercialization of the Web

[jankwig <jankwig -at- PANIX -dot- COM>]

On Fri, 3 Nov 1995, David Blyth wrote:

> Hi All

> >The history of radio outside the US was primarily one of government monopoly,
> >often with a license fee on receivers--commercialism came late to most
> >countries, not at all to a few even today.

> The history of the Web is bound to be somewhat different than the
> history of radio - just as the history of radio is somewhat different
> from the history of TV.  But my point revolves around how they are
> similar, not different.  So far, all these communication technologies
> became commercialized media.

> (BTW, the continuing success of PBS shows that it is perfectly possible
> to have worthwhile art/eduction within a comercialized media.)



While I can appreciate the point being made here, I would just pessimistically
add the comment that I'm not so sure we can say "continu(ed) success" in
the same breath as PBS anymore.

All over the country, and on Capitol Hill as well, moves are afoot to
drop all government funding of PBS.  In fact, we in NYC (that's NYC, for
gawd's sakes!) have actually LOST some of our PBS outlets since the city
and the feds cut the life out of them and there was not enough private
support to keep them going.

WHile this surely doesn't spell the end of public broadcasting by any
means, I think it clearly illustrates that, in a capitalist society,
which, face it folks, we are, you can't expect quality to win out,
unless enough people want to put their own personal out of pocket money
where their mouth(es) is(are).