Internet matchmaking in... Iran? It's happening. Jaffar Ardabili started a Web site devoted to arranging traditional Islamic marriages: it's got statements of permission from six prominent Iranian clerics. The New York Times had the scoop this morning. Does Barry Diller know about this?
It's not just Iran: most ethnic groups in the world have their very own Internet introduction services: for example, if you're an Asian Indian, A1IM (A1 Indian Matrimonials) can help you search for Mr. or Ms. Right.
But what of poor countries, where no one has anything? UK-based easyEverything, since 1998, has been opening megastores worldwide, each with 400 or more high-speed internet terminals with flat screen workstations, charging as little at 5 cents for access.
Just as wireless high-speed internet access by Wi-Fi started out as a paid service, and is now devolving into a free background feature, so will internet access gradually become unremarked, an always-on, always available service. Note how, in an airport or, for that matter, any public place, you can plug in an extension cord and use your computer, charge your phone, or do whatever you like: no one would think of charging you for the electricity coming out of that socket that, after all, is costing somebody something.
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