Only a year ago, AOL had only 8 employees in it's broadband division?!

I've used high speed internet for a while now, and coming from a remote UK location, I understand the difficulties in getting to grips with it. The initial cost, which is usually outweighed by the real killer of not actually being able to be plumbed into the service itself anyway. As well as the whole 'always on' service, which isn't a problem, but still seems a point to address with those masses still queuing in the slow lane. Strangely enough, the latest unwired, highspeed, extravaganza of internet exploration, still appears to be the dominant mind set, among the non-computer owing, with their AOL dial-up, buddy, masses. Of which I have spoken to a LOT of. They see computers AS the internet, in a lot of cases.

Where was I?

Oh yes, AOL only just getting their huge blind following, onto the higher speed connection. Didn't anyone at any point sort of think, "er...what about offering our 20 sqillion users some sort of higher bandwidth?"
A company that huge, offering the services they claim to, not seeing this, seems insane. However, this could be an indicator of there not actually being that many people world wide, with anything quicker than dial up. And/or the communication companies are making quite enough this way and see no reason to rock the good ship "Revenue Enhacement".

One teeny fly in all this is that for the most part AOL is a not reccomendable service to anyone other than a complete ostrich who insists on being hand held through the entire net, but finding no release at all for their pinkies once they see through the cracks in the play-pen walls. So going to a chums house and seeing how quick and uncluttered their experience is, there would seem little incentive to stay. I just heard that they're attempting to turn Paris and a big lump of New York into one huge hotspot. The New York version is being created with the ingenious idea of using rapidly vanishing phone boxes as Wifi relays. Verizon came up with this to transform Manhattan into a surfing paradise. One will be keeping at least one eyeball on that plan.

So those Telcos with the wires already in place will be able to unleash the silent and invisible access to the masses....oh....(sound of needle being dragged across vinyl)(anyone who doesn't know about vinyl will never have gotten down this far, so it is assumed safe to proceed)...looks like we're back to our original problem of never getting the highway close enough to everyone's door, but the phone box thing is a very good way to begin.


A strange thing happened today. I walked past a building site and did'nt notice the large collection of bearded builders all sat in a row on the edge of the street, eating their lunch. Coming from a country where this would be something of a complete impossibility, I frantically wondered why (frantic worry really takes it out of you, I can tell you. Especially with such important issues as this). Looked to me that this building was being constructed by amish builders. I have not had chance to chat with any amish person yet, but it seems they breed their construction workers without a sense of inadequacy, or the need to demonstrate it by shouting the usual Beavis and Butthead style of wit and sexual charm, that every other strain of this animal has. In fact it was a shock (so there was frantic worry coupled with shock...oooo someone feel sorry for my stressful day please?) when I realized I had probably walked past them many times and not even known they were there. I must add, this isn't because I would spark a reaction from the more commonly used versions, but the silence was unnerving (oooo...now it's frantic worry, shock AND having your nerves er.....un'ed). There would be no interest in me, as just afterwards I was told I was from a police academy, or at least that's how they saw it.....odd day.

I saw something that I haven't quite managed to store in the correct resepticle...it was concerning people that don't need other people, must need other people so they can know they don't need them...hmmm..very zen that.

And now the camera pulls back as I sit slowly closing the huge leather bound book, in my huge red leather bound chair, and classical ending theme music plays, lights go down as the wobbly credits show a lot of people's names which seem oddly numerous for such a small programme..... Good Night.... (Cheesy grin and back to the wisely steepled fingers)