I am an Internet consultant. Basically that means that I talk to people about what they do, why they do it, and how the can do it better using technology. Then I help organize people to actually do what we decided they should do. As of this writing, I am still gainfully employed as an Internet consultant, which is unusual, given the complete breakdown of the industry over the last few years.

Anyway, one of the best things about Internet technology is that the built infrastructure—- stuff that is already in place, ready to be used—- is underutilized. There is more supply than there is demand. Simple economics.

One of the greatest built and underused parts of the Internet is wireless messaging technology—- the ability to instantly communicate with people unobtrusively through text.

I got to thinking about what the most compelling use of this technology would be.

This was July 1999, the time when Benjamin Smith—- a crazed white supremacist idiot-- went on a killing spree from the Northern part of Chicago to downstate Illinois to Indiana. The guy was popping minorities left and right. No one knew where he was going to strike next. It occurred to me that if you could be notified that there was a killer on the loose, someone who had killed before and might kill again, then you’d want to know that. Right away. The result: www.killerontheloose.com. Go to the site, give us your wireless address, and we’ll hit you with info on your cell phone, PDA, or plain old email address and we’ll notify you re: killers on the loose. Relatively compelling use of wireless technology.

Next I was interested in what the least compelling use of wireless messaging technology would be.

The result is www.stalebagel.com. Go to the site, tell us the details about your bagels, and we’ll let you know the moment they become stale.

© 2003 Daniel X. O'Neil

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