Comments on: Disintermediation: a Buzz Word to Bring Back http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/ A Future Look at Today Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:38:37 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: J.M. http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/comment-page-1/#comment-64863 J.M. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:24:16 +0000 http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/10/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/#comment-64863 Another great thing the internet could bring about could be the reemergence of the Union. Like you said, today the internet allows people to have more information and participate in things they may never have had the chance to participate in, and at a level never before possible. While the concept of "union" has been tarnished since its glory days when it revolutionized the way employers treated their workers, the idea of "union" is still a great overall idea. Imagine if a group of people who subscribed to a cable tv company formed a website and invited other cable subscribers to join. The webiste provided its "union" members with information about what cable tv was doing and research on what was available that the cable company wasn't offering, maybe general info on the cable industry lobbying, and so forth...you get the idea. Then imagine the group decided to ask the cable company to provide something to its customers. And the cable company refused. It would be time to act. So, the website that organized the cable tv subscribers "union" asked all its members to withhold making their monthly payment next month. And they all withheld that payment. Don't you imagine the cable company would come to its knees almost immediatley and quickly rethink its response to the subscribers "union" and invite them to come back and talk? And if the cable company didn't make changes the subscribers requested, all the subscribers have to do is organize another payment strike. Whats great about this scenairo is that it mean the cable company is, in effect, called to account every month that they're doing what their customers want, otherwise every month they risk another strike. And since cash flow is the life blood of any company, you realize that it can't go on for very long without it. While most folks could do without cable for a few weeks if they thought they were making their commnity a better place. And all this because, as you have said, the individual now has more power than ever before, because now they can form groups and start to apply pressure with their dollars in ways never before possible. Corporations have vast powers and until now have only had governments to call them to heel. As we all know, governments simply don't do such a thing since they need corporations to buy them their offices. But the people, organizing on the internet into "unions" for specific purposes can combat the corporations now in ways that could make it very difficult for them to continuing ignoring the wishes of the people they serve, and the People in general. Another great thing the internet could bring about could be the reemergence of the Union. Like you said, today the internet allows people to have more information and participate in things they may never have had the chance to participate in, and at a level never before possible. While the concept of “union” has been tarnished since its glory days when it revolutionized the way employers treated their workers, the idea of “union” is still a great overall idea. Imagine if a group of people who subscribed to a cable tv company formed a website and invited other cable subscribers to join. The webiste provided its “union” members with information about what cable tv was doing and research on what was available that the cable company wasn’t offering, maybe general info on the cable industry lobbying, and so forth…you get the idea. Then imagine the group decided to ask the cable company to provide something to its customers. And the cable company refused. It would be time to act. So, the website that organized the cable tv subscribers “union” asked all its members to withhold making their monthly payment next month. And they all withheld that payment. Don’t you imagine the cable company would come to its knees almost immediatley and quickly rethink its response to the subscribers “union” and invite them to come back and talk? And if the cable company didn’t make changes the subscribers requested, all the subscribers have to do is organize another payment strike. Whats great about this scenairo is that it mean the cable company is, in effect, called to account every month that they’re doing what their customers want, otherwise every month they risk another strike. And since cash flow is the life blood of any company, you realize that it can’t go on for very long without it. While most folks could do without cable for a few weeks if they thought they were making their commnity a better place. And all this because, as you have said, the individual now has more power than ever before, because now they can form groups and start to apply pressure with their dollars in ways never before possible. Corporations have vast powers and until now have only had governments to call them to heel. As we all know, governments simply don’t do such a thing since they need corporations to buy them their offices. But the people, organizing on the internet into “unions” for specific purposes can combat the corporations now in ways that could make it very difficult for them to continuing ignoring the wishes of the people they serve, and the People in general.

]]> By: Future Forecast - The 2008 Election | Evolution Shift - Futurist Blog http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/comment-page-1/#comment-64009 Future Forecast - The 2008 Election | Evolution Shift - Futurist Blog Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:10:24 +0000 http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/10/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/#comment-64009 [...] to be one of the most powerful forces in the world.  The Internet is the most powerful force of disintermediation since Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type press. Regular readers know I have written [...] [...] to be one of the most powerful forces in the world.  The Internet is the most powerful force of disintermediation since Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type press. Regular readers know I have written [...]

]]> By: The Corner Office Blog - An entrepreneurs thoughts on business, personal finance and investing. » Blog Archive » God Bless Disintermediation! http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4415 The Corner Office Blog - An entrepreneurs thoughts on business, personal finance and investing. » Blog Archive » God Bless Disintermediation! Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:00:20 +0000 http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/10/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/#comment-4415 [...] A prominent topic of futurist David Houle, disintermediation is in layman’s terms, the elimination of the middle man, but the concept stems a bit further:  The Internet, particularly in its current high speed broadband iteration, Internet 2.0 is the single most powerful agent of disintermediation there is at this time on Earth. It is being used to change economic transaction structures, in practically all areas of commerce. It is forcing heretofore firmly entrenched distribution channels to adapt or suffer significant negative consequences. It is the visible disintermediation agent for big economic, political and cultural institutions in the U.S. and around the world.  -Source [...] [...] A prominent topic of futurist David Houle, disintermediation is in layman’s terms, the elimination of the middle man, but the concept stems a bit further:  The Internet, particularly in its current high speed broadband iteration, Internet 2.0 is the single most powerful agent of disintermediation there is at this time on Earth. It is being used to change economic transaction structures, in practically all areas of commerce. It is forcing heretofore firmly entrenched distribution channels to adapt or suffer significant negative consequences. It is the visible disintermediation agent for big economic, political and cultural institutions in the U.S. and around the world.  -Source [...]

]]> By: david http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/comment-page-1/#comment-35 david Mon, 01 May 2006 21:25:18 +0000 http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/10/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/#comment-35 Andrew K- Yes you are absolutely right about the insurance industry. There is a shake-out ahead. Watch for the next 'disintermediation' post soon (probably next week after one more energy post). You must have read my mind as I have been formulating it these past couple of days. David Andrew K-

Yes you are absolutely right about the insurance industry. There is a shake-out ahead. Watch for the next ‘disintermediation’ post soon (probably next week after one more energy post). You must have read my mind as I have been formulating it these past couple of days.

David

]]> By: Andrew K. http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/14/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Andrew K. Sun, 30 Apr 2006 22:34:01 +0000 http://www.evolutionshift.com/blog/2006/04/10/disintermediation-a-buzz-word-to-bring-back/#comment-32 Insurance has been experiencing disintermediation for many years now as the agent base has eroded away, replaced by online carriers like GEICO and Progressive selling direct to the customer. Like all things web, the more time you spend online, the more you like to do online. I wonder what insurance will look like in 5 or 10 years? Will we buy all of it online? What will happen to the mom-and-pop shops that depend today on the 40+ crowd that never really liked (or learned) to buy online? Who will there customers be tomorrow? Insurance has been experiencing disintermediation for many years now as the agent base has eroded away, replaced by online carriers like GEICO and Progressive selling direct to the customer. Like all things web, the more time you spend online, the more you like to do online.

I wonder what insurance will look like in 5 or 10 years? Will we buy all of it online? What will happen to the mom-and-pop shops that depend today on the 40+ crowd that never really liked (or learned) to buy online? Who will there customers be tomorrow?

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