AOL Jack Davies National Press Club Address

[Roger Clarke]

Tom wrote:
>Some comments from here at the National Press Club. Mr. Jack Davies,
>president of America On-line International ...

Can someone explain to me why 'just another corporate' is being given such
a dream run by the media, including the exposure and implied endorsement of
the National Press Club?

The public relations machine of *any* decent-sized corporate can dream up
ways of leveraging off ideas in good standing like 'community' and
'information society', and 'about people not technology' - that's their
*job*, dammit.

Is there *anything* of substance in AOL's claims to be different?  Even the
tariff is similar to Big Pond and Ozemail.  So it's just the rhetoric,
right?  If enough people believe, then it comes true?  Hopefully, the
Australian public will be as sceptical about these smooth-talkers as they
were about the MSN 'special zone of the Internet' (remember that failed
venture?).

(To preclude another round of bandwidth-wasteful censorship chatter:  yes,
AOL *does* boast about providing a protected space in which kiddies are
safe, etc. etc.  This may or may not appeal - and may or may not have been
mentioned in the carefully-crafted speech - but the relevant point here is
that it wouldn't differentiate the product much anyway).


>* AOL has a broader vision than just the Internet,
>* Want on-line to be socially beneficial,
>* Not about technology, but about people.
>* bringing interactive medium to the mass market.
>* AOL US service comparable in size to some cable companies.
>* Provides a social forum on-line.
>* Place where people go to have fun.
>* Trading floor for stock quotes.
>* On-line market place for products such as cars
>* Will be providing an on-line photo album
>* Challenge is to create the same sort of on-line communities in other
>countries as in USA.
>* Should have a powerful and positive social impact.
>* Will work with local community and companies.
>* Will provide global access for Australian merchants
>* Provide forums for advocacy and support groups, such as those for breast
>cancer
>* Government over-regulation on censorship could have a cilling effect on
>the on-line industry. Industry can achieve a balanced approach.
>* Focusing on expanding the market, rather than taking market share from
>existing ISPs.


Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
                                        http://www.etc.com.au/Xamax/
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Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916   mailto:Roger.Clarke@anu.edu.au

Visiting Fellow,   Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
The Australian National University     Canberra  ACT  0200 AUSTRALIA
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