An Alternate Internet?

Did you know…Intel, Apple, IBM and Yahoo are putting together an alternate Web?

They're convinced that the current configuration cannot withstand the onslaught of millions of Chinese logging on over the next several years. (Heard it from John Carlton, one of the best direct-response copywriters.) I googled it, and Slashdot has an article on this, as well.

On a related note, when I was in college, the summer before I left to study abroad, I worked at the corporate headquarters for a national bank. I met the tech guy who was responsible for developing the online business banking network. (This was before online banking became mainstream. In fact, the bank I worked for was one of the first banks to offer online banking.). He told me that the internet could be brought down by a small group of hackers. To me, that was news. To think that a small group of determined hackers could take down the internet…it's
hard to believe.

If the internet were brought down–even for a week or two–it would cause billions of dollars in lost revenue. Many businesses (and individuals) earn the majority of their income online. Imagine what would happen to Google, small publishers, SEO firms, web design companies, and the list goes on and on…

While I don't think a major breakdown is likely to occur any time soon, it's still interesting that Intel, Apple, IBM, and Yahoo are putting an alternate infrastructure in place.

The GoogleNet

According to The London Times, Google is working on a project to create its own global internet protocol (IP) network, a private alternative to the internet.