January 13, 1997
Are we being pushed too far?
By Bob O'Donnell
Push, push, push. That's what I keep hearing and reading about when it comes to the
Internet in 1997, and that's the subject I also believe should be near the top of IS
managers' lists when it comes to technology issues for the coming year.
But as much as I like the concept of Internet push technologies, I came to an important
realization the other day. Products and technologies that deliver content straight to
users' desktops are like the fast food of the Internet. At first bite, they are quick,
cheap, and enticing, but pretty soon (at least in their current implementations) they
leave you disappointed.
Take PointCast , for example. Like most of the
1.5 million people who have downloaded and installed the software, I was quite impressed
when I got the product. I recall spending several hours over the first week or two just
staring at the screen and reading numerous articles it flashed before me. My enthusiasm
waned fairly quickly, though, and now, maybe eight months later, I rarely look at it. In
some ways, the software is an annoyance, and I find myself wishing it would get out of my
way more quickly when I need to get back to work.
Part of the problem I have with the product is its very design -- I'd like to have news
delivered to me as I'm working but I can't work when the screen saver has taken over my
monitor. In its current state, PointCast can't meet that need. I'm sure the company is
aware of this dilemma and no doubt it and other companies with similar types of
technologies are working to overcome interface and usage limitations. Being bundled into
the OS, for example, as PointCast is rumored to be doing with Microsoft , could help a great deal.
There are still other problems that need to be addressed before content push mechanisms
become truly useful. One important but often overlooked issue is freedom of choice and the
delivery format needed to support that choice. Right now, the choice of content available
to you is determined by the delivery system (or systems) you choose to download. If you
use PointCast, for example, you can get CNN news, but not
the Wall Street Journal. There simply is no online
equivalent to unlimited regular delivery of newspapers, magazines, and other information
sources. Although you can visit their Web sites individually, you can't get the Wall
Street Journal, the New York Times, and Business Week all delivered to the same place on
your computer in a single format.
Another critical issue is information overload. Without dramatic improvements in
filtering technology, most users of content push systems will be so overwhelmed by
information that they'll probably end up ignoring it instead of taking advantage of it.
Progress is certainly being made in this area, but most user customization features are
still too broad and aren't very successful at honing the massive wealth of information
available.
Ironically, if filtering technology reduces the amount of information delivered to a
reasonable size, it could also eliminate the joy of serendipitously stumbling across an
article or other piece of information that points you in a completely unexpected
direction. In fact, I would argue that the value of serendipity is so high that its
absence could prove to be a critical stumbling block for customized information delivery.
The final concern has to do with the economics of pushing content. The reality is that
most news and content creation companies are supported by advertising. At the moment,
however, most push mechanisms don't easily integrate advertising, or if they do, they
don't provide much economic incentive for content providers. Of course many content
companies are diving into the push business anyway because they believe that it will be an
important part of the future of information delivery. To ensure the long-term success of
these endeavors, however, there needs to be some other economic benefits for the content
providers.
In spite of all these current and potential problems, I'm still bullish on push
mechanisms, but they need to be put into proper perspective. Stand-alone Web sites will
serve as a much richer and more valuable information source for many years to come, and
push mechanisms can supplement and/or drive individuals to the information they're
seeking. But you can only be pushed so far ... .
©
Copyright 1997, by InfoWorld Publishing Corp., a
subsidiary of IDG Communications, Inc. Reprinted from InfoWorld,
155 Bovet Road, San Mateo, CA 94402. Further reproduction is prohibited.
