Macheath

And where is Audiogalaxy and Napster? How much longer is Internet radio going to be around? What of the elected representatives who think that the Government should be able to legally destroy your computer if you're suspected to copyright infringement? What of the idea of legally denying you root access to your own computer? That WOULD crush the technology.

That's wonderful. There is one American family living in our street. I talk to them occasionally and they did put on a nice Halloween party. I don't know them that well though, and I don't know their politics. I DO know a bit about your politics though, despite the fact that I'm a bit further than a mile from San Jose, California.

I know a few Vietnamese families. Maybe I could ask "what exotic things do you eat?" answer - "meat pies." Well "what's Vietnam like now" answer - "I dunno, I haven't been there since 1975".

We used to have a whole lot of great pubs in Sydney until the gambling industry came along. Now there's barely any singalongs at the pub piano. Just rows and rows of poker machines and dead eyed gamblers.

But this internet thing gives you a fighting chance of talking to an American living in America or a Russian living in Russia, so at what point do you enjoy it as something more than a neat gimmick?

But by the same token, people don't curse the postal system if the letter contains bad news. And the only reason people don't praise or curse the postal system is because they take it's existence for granted. Go back in history and find Wells Fargo praised for getting that gold back to San Francisco or the runner for getting those dispatches back from the front. And these guys were just glorified postal workers.
I don't want you to think I'm being spurious here, but we might as well remember what the idea of a widely available postal system originally represented.