Do keitai have IP addresses?
If so, would it be possible to, say, set up a server "located" inside the
Docomo network and with a Docomo domain name/address?
Also, regarding Minitel vs. L-Mode: being French I grew up with the Minitel
around. In the previous messages, it was said that (1) the Minitel was
popular because of a lack of alternatives, the French government being
reticent to adopt the internet. (2) The previous messages also mentionned
that Minitel's failure was due to a "Walled-Garden" approach.
1. Regarding the lack of alternatives: Minitel was created in 1982, the
Internet we use today didn't even exist! The services boasted by the Minitel
were actually pretty cool: you could already perform bank transfers, check
out phone numbers/addresses in the Yellow Pages, book your train/plane
tickets online. There was some chats, even some Role-Playing-Games! And we
could even download some games for our Commodore 16 (64 for the wealthiest).
All of this in the mid-80's!
2. "Walled-Garden" approach: surely, since the Minitel needed a specific
(free) terminal from France Telecom, its organization was somewhat more
centralized than the Internet. But founding a business on Minitel was very
easy and hey! We had a lot of sucessful porn-sites at the time , "3615 Ulla"
to begin with (yes, well, text-mode only and with very simple black and
white graphics).
The main reason why the Minitel didn't work was, by very very far, the
pay-per-minute system. The pay-per-minute system had two vicious effects:
(1) People were limiting Minitel usage to the minimum, thus hindering its
economic development. (2) Sites making money "per-minute" were trying their
best to delay access to the information making "browsing" a pretty painful
experience.
Anyway, just my 2 Francs on the subject and, honestly, L-mode looks too much
alike the Minitel to be meaningfully successful. Especially with the
Internet around.
Olivier
[ Did you check the archives? http://www.appelsiini.net/keitai-l/ ]
Received on Mon Apr 30 12:49:02 2001