Previous entry: "11-Nov-2001 -- The Challenge of a Free Architecture" WebWord Home Page Next entry: "11-Nov-2001 -- The Usability of eBay's Checkout Feature"

11/11/2001 Archived Entry: "11-Nov-2001 -- Lies, Damned Lies and Internet Statistics"

Lies, Damned Lies and Internet Statistics (BBC) -- "The internet is not like a consumer technology or a toy. Its use will not level off at 50% or 60% because people don't want to buy PCs. Instead it is like gas or water or electricity - a basic service that all homes and businesses need."

Replies: 4 comments

I completly disagree. Unlike water, the internet is only a tool and is not necessary for life to continue. The internet is relativly young, humanity is way older.

A better comparison would be with telephone or tv.

Posted by abc @ 11/11/2001 05:23 PM EST

"like gas or water or electricity". Try telling that to my mother :)

I don't think so.

Posted by MadMan @ 11/13/2001 03:06 PM EST

Let's take a longer view of technology and service adoption. At the start of this century, electricity was not ubiquitous, especially in rural areas. Radio was not a "necessity" but people chose to have it. TV was not a "necessity" but people chose to have it. The adoption rates for all these technologies, and for home computers, varied in its pace of advancement.

Monthly growth statistics on internet use are more noise than signal. Let's take a five year view and see what the changes i internet use have been.

1970 - handful of technical people
1975 - more technical people, but very small number
1980 - the number is larger, but largely limited to government and university.
1985 - some companies are connected. Private services like Compuserv and Prodigy are out there, but without internet connection as we know it today. Still many multiple communications standards in computing.
1990 - more and more companies getting on the net, a few ISP's offering service. Internet e-mail fights with X.400 standard.
1995 - The web is on us and the growth is taking off. Widening public perception of the internet. X.400 is dead. OSI is killed by TCP/IP. Anyone remember SNA? Token Ring?
2000 - dot-com fever peaks.

What's the likely forecast for 2005?
1) use declines, internet proves to be a fad, like CB radio.
2) use peaks in 2001, growth stops, maturity sets in.
3) growth continues. New features and uses are developed, these draw in new users.

You make your own call. I vote for #3.

Posted by MCW @ 11/17/2001 08:13 PM EST

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was wondering if you could help me find a couple of statistics about the internet in the U.S.A., or where I can find such stats as I have searched high and low but have as yet had no success.

1. The total number of internet users in the U.S.A. for each year from 1999 to 2001.

2. A breakdown of the number of internet users on a state by state basis.

3. The take-up of internet users, ie the number of new users in the U.S. for each year of 1999-2001.

4. A breakdown of the number of new internet users on a state by state basis in the U.S. for each year of 1999-2001.

I thank you very much if you can help me with these rare facts,

Best Regards,

Michael R. Roth

Posted by Michael Roth @ 02/16/2002 11:52 AM EST

Subscribe to Webword.com
Receive the best free usability newsletter on the Internet.

URL: http://www.WebWord.com/weblog/