Ubiquity in the Internet Age (Jeremy Zawodny's blog)

Ubiquity in the Internet Age (Jeremy Zawodny's blog)

Jeremy Zawodny has quite a long posting on

Ubiquity in the Internet Age.

Zawodny claims that "ubiquity" is the key to winning the internet battle:

"The Internet is the new medium and it has the effect of leveling the playing field. While this isn't a new insight, let me say it in two specific ways:

1. The web enables infinite distribution of content without any special effort or infrastructure.
2. The web extends the reach of our apps and services as far as we're willing to let them go.

Both notions come back to ubiquity. If your stuff (and your brand) is everywhere, you win. The money will follow. It always does....

What to do? ...

1. do something useful really really well
2. put the user in control by allowing access to your data and services in an easy and unrestricted way
3. share the wealth "

For example, Zawodny uses Google's Blogger as an example of a company which does all three.

But of course, there are also technical requirements as well.

Interesting to note in this regard is the October 25, 2004 article, "The Road To Ubiquity" by David Haskin, Mobile Pipeline, InternetWeek, which outlines three requirements for wireless technologies becoming "winners":

"First, hardware must become readily available that handles them all. Second, mobile-access bundles that give users two or more of these wireless options are necessary, or enterprises and consumers won't be able to make heads nor tails out of all the connectivity choices. Third, Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless-broadband vendors must offer widespread roaming agreements."

But, caveat emptor. There is a dark side to ubiquity. Via TechnoTaste (Anthropology, Technology, Food and Wine) and the posting "Internet Withdrawal and Internet Ubiquity" we are led to Lester Haines at the Register and his 23 September 2004 article "Internet junkies in chilling cold turkey experiment", which shows that internet ubiquity can also lead to internet addiction.

Crossposted to LawPundit.