I was fortunate enough to get online in the mid-90’s. I wrote some terrible software to configure Dial Up Networking in Windows 3.1, and then sold it to a local ISP for years of free access. At that point, consumers were rapidly adopting what I’ll call “open” technologies, including email, forums (USENET), messaging (IRC) and file transfer (ftp). The web was about to be littered with millions of consumer home pages, hosted by Geocities and people’s internet service providers.

I don’t want to say that I told you so, but, well, I did. Middle america continues to move online, content purchases have gone digital, and Walmart and Costco will keep undercutting Best Buy on pricing of high-volume items. For Best Buy to survive it needs to move upmarket in home electronics (helping consumers navigate the complexity of HD home theatre), focus on white goods (kicking Sears out of that market for good), and pray for a real-estate recovery.