The early Internet was very much an artificial community. In was, in fact, a very elite club. The academics and researchers didn't need to commercialise the Internet, because they were getting salaries from the State. I come from a small community in rural Ireland. Commercially, things aren't so good in my community.
Agriculture offers less and less opportunity.
Young people have left, old people are left. Unless my community gets its commerce together, in twenty years it will be history. Communities need commerce, commerce needs communities. The challenge on the Internet today is to create structure which allow both to feed off each other and thus thrive. Gerry McGovern, Nua Limited.