The Web! It's People!

Tim Bray always has interesting things to say - I've enjoyed the distributed discussion he's started around Erlang - but his latest piece is a direct echo from the Others Online playbook (emphasis added):

Here’s the thing: the Net’s killer app has always been other people. There are side benefits, like access to all the world’s information. But the links that matter aren’t between pages but people, and they’re strong and rich and subtle. Multiply the infinite flavors in human relationships by a thickening bundle of means-to-connect; that product is what’s new and what’s good and what’s exciting. People who are looking for the Next Big Thing are mostly looking in the wrong places. And anyway, you don’t need to look, it’ll find you.