Interactivity is alive on the Net

Chris Boulding tried to clear up confusion about the Internet, “Net-working” (MW March 31) and ended up confusing his buzzwords.

He asserted that “the Internet is not much of an interactive medium” because it cannot accommodate decent moving pictures and users cannot choose their own endings to programmes.

That is not because the Internet isn’t interactive.

It is the most interactive medium I have come across, allowing the user a free hand in jumping from one item to another and offering the ability for real-time dialogue between the consumer and marketer.

The level of interactivity is such that consumers can actually become publishers or marketers themselves.

But because it tries to pour digital data down a thin piece of telephone wire, the Internet is not yet much of a multimedia device.

Hence text flows easily and small pictures aren’t too bad, but video pushes the humble phone line to its limits.

Naturally for a new medium, there are many misconceptions about the Internet.

Let us not make matters worse by confusing fundamental notions such as interactive and multimedia.

Paul Syrysko

Head of new technology

Initiative Media

London WC1