Many people have asked me recently what I thought of the American Online-Time Warner merger. It is quite possibly a landmark moment in the young history of the internet. Many people fear this signals the beginning of large companies trying to control access to, and the content of, the internet. I don't see it that way. The internet's popularity is built on the fact that it is a free-form vehicle for providing information and ideas.
All indicators are that the growth and popularity has suprised many companies' so called experts.
As I have said in previous articles, the internet has leveled the playing field for small companies and individuals. This power is not one that small companies that are going to give up without a fight. It is clear that many businesses and most certainly the government is trying to figure out how to get a piece of the pie. What found interesting about the merger was the fact that it was AOL that was clearly running the show. AOL is not a cheap service, and technically it lags behind most ISP connections.