And if not mainstream, then a beacon, a direction that commanded attention, a hope that spread through the collective psyche. Even a rather cursory glance at the topics of the articles that the press once devoted to the then burgeoning internet phenomenon would suggest that we were dealing with a social phenomenon that held the potential for affecting vast social changes. Admittedly, not infrequently the not-connected public looked upon internet users as strange beings unable to communicate via traditional methods , but internet use was also seen as a promise of possibilities that would change our daily lives for the better. Today, it seems that the only change that's taking place is that we're able to buy more from the comfort of our homes. And though I suppose that I can think of numerous positive uses for wireless internet access, I have to admit that on the whole the information that I might want to access via the internet is of the sort that can wait until I'm sitting quietly in front of a traditional computer screen.
Wireless access seems intent on realizing the promise of the information superhighway.
The problem is, that I'm far from convinced that what we need is its realization. Quite a while ago, in a discussion of the metaphors that focus our use of the internet, I quoted a critique of the superhighway metaphor . But it bears repeating . The internet today is business. E-commerce is what makes the wheels of innovation and development turn.