[zwieback]

The European online services (MiniTel, BildshirmText, VideoTel (others?)) show that sometimes innovation can come from crusty, state-run monopolies. I think the telecoms realized that there was something useful there but ultimately didn't quite provide what consumers wanted.

None of these projects could have succeeded in the open market at the time but I give credit to the monopolies for trying.

[mjwalshe]

Yes recall people comenting that PRESTEL did amazing things back in the day when BT was still efectivly a civil service organisation.

PRESTEL was designed in an era where if the female employes got married they had to leave the company. And there where strict rules about how senior you had to be before you got a chair with arms