The Internet is Not Boring
Given Mark Cuban credit, he knows how to create a hornet’s nest of controversy - the latest being his contention the Internet is “boring” because it has evolved into a utility and there’s nothing “explosively exciting” on the horizon - mostly because the “last mile” into the home is still a trickle rather than a fast-flowing river.
Before getting into Cuban’s thesis, there are a couple of things that should be pointed out. Cuban is an agent provocateur. It’s his modus operandi, and something he clearly revels in using his high-profile blog as a vehicle for controversy. That said, Cuban’s also a very smart guy who calls a spade a spade. With Broadcast.com and his current HD initiatives, Cuban has always been big on bandwidth so it’s not surprising he’s disappointed given broadband in the U.S. leaves much to be desired.
Maybe Cuban is right; maybe the Internet has become a utility simply because it has become part of everyday lives. Today, no one marvels at connecting to the Web whereas a decade ago it was a thrill to hear the static associated with getting online with a dial-up connection.
If there’s a hole in Cuban’s thesis, it’s that he’s sitting too close to the fire to realize the Internet is still a marvelous thing for a lot of people how are thrilled about being able to pay their bills online, apply for jobs, surf the Web, watch YouTube videos, etc. For Cuban, this is meat and potatoes kind of stuff but for many people, high-def isn’t even in the picture so they’re more than happy with 5Mbps service (at least for the time being.)
Personally, the Internet and what’s available never ceases to amaze. I spent a good hour last weekend using StumbleUpon, and discovered a whack of great Web sites that immediately went on my del.ici.us account. I also spent some time watching videos, including a bunch of Wordpress tutorials - something that was difficult to easily do a couple of years ago.
Cuban may be bored because he’s looking for the next big thing online but the Internet is still a pretty amazing place for the rest of us. Of course, he does make a good point that more bandwidth will change everything but that’s another story for another day.
More: Fred Wilson has some thoughts on Cuban’s thesis - poking holes at Cuban’s belief the Internet is no different than it was five years ago, and that bandwidth is a critical factor in innovation. Not surprisingly, Loren Feldman has his own unique take on the Cuban vs. Wilson thing.
