-By 2005 or so, it will become clear that the Internet's impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine's. (c)Krugman.
Since I haven't been called a retard enough recently, let me suggest this experiment:
Get your tablet or smartphone, or some old-fashioned pencil and paper
Take a 1 hour walk around your neighborhood
Make two lists, with everything material that you see that is there, is not there, or is different than would have been otherwise, because of (a) the internet, (b) the fax machine.
(By "material" I mean objects -- not merely the text or pictures on store signs, windows, billlboards, computer screens, etc.. For example, you may notice that, because of the internet, the newspaper kiosk or vending machines at the street corner have disappeared: that counts. You will see URLs or QR codes on signs, instead of telephone numbers: that does not count. You may see the building of some internet venture that employs dozens of people and is making piles of money: that does not count, because, without the internet, there would probably have been a building of some other company there, employing dozens of people and making piles of money with some other business, computer-related or not.)
If you are too lazy to take the walk, do the same inside your home or place of work. (But actually get up and walk, do not just sit there and make a mental walk, you bum!)
If you are too lazy even for that, think of all the people you know, and note which ones have had their lives substantially changed because of the internet. (If the guy would be sitting on a desk 9 to 5 anyway, pushing numbers and writing reports,it does not matter whether he uses the internet or not.)
If you are too lazy even for that, at least note the following: what you see on your computer screen, on TV, on newspapers and magazines, is not the world, it is just
images of the world. Just because the images have changed, it does not mean that the world has.
-Bitcoin is evil. (c)Krugman.
After you have done your homework above, there will be a quiz on this subject too.
Poll
