[iluvuspartacus]

Really the most annoying conclusion possible in the article: "The free market wins again."

The free market gets to win after sufficient government handouts gets something up and running. Then private businesses can swoop in and take the networks (or in this case, the concept) and claim that they won.

If your mother gives you a lollipop, you didn't win an epic battle for the lollipop. Just saying...

[scott_karana]

While I definitely agree with you on the whole, there are some specifics that are ignored by your comment.

The French Minitel system allowed for semi-free market activities, by allowing companies to use the system.

The German Bildschirmtext failed because it apparently kept too much control: the decoder boxes were expensive and only able to be purchased at one location, and I don't think they allowed for others to use the service.

[iluvuspartacus]

Completely agree with you.

If it's time to capitalize something, bring in the free market.

However if you need to build something that's never been built before, you tend to need a government, a tyrant, or a Rockefeller.

[icebraining]

Minitel was not something that had "never been built before", there were Videotex systems developed before. Of course, it's hard for a private company to use tax money to offer free terminals to everyone.

[kunle]

> However if you need to build something that's never been built before, you tend to need a government, a tyrant, or a Rockefeller.

Well said, well said.

[Tyrant505]

I agree with the Tyrant part.

[baddox]

I suppose it depends on your perspective. One could just as easily say that the free market won despite the activity of government.