The ironic thing is thathose that fail to see or refuse to see the writing on the wall. Companies and investors often get overzealous looking for the forest instead of focusing some pretty important seedlings. This is problematic as technology diffuses through the early adopters first and the mass market last. Think back to when these products began to emerge. Cynicism was everywhere.
Cynicism is a blindfold.
That is a great question. As a simple rule, we would advise that you focus on the companies that are catering to early adopters and be wary of companies that downplay the significance of the internet. Also, it is probably easier right now to make a list of industries that will be hurt by the internet rather than those that will be aided. Keep in mind that the internet has no sense of fairness. If a new competitor can accomplish the same task for half the cost or even free, then they will.