Minitel Hits Twenty

An anonymous submitter writes "Minitel is now 20 years old, according to this article from BBC News: 'Calling Minitel a proto-internet may be a bit of a stretch, but it is not far off. Unlike the internet, Minitel is a closed network, based on the phone system of its owner, France Telecom. Using one of its prehistoric-seeming terminals, users can access a labyrinth of proprietary content, all of it determinedly low-graphics and designed for speed.' Slashdot has reported on Minitel before."

Comments

Business Models or "Developers, developers!"

[Scoria]

Calling Minitel a proto-internet may be a bit of a stretch, but it is not far off. ... all of it determinedly low-graphics and designed for speed.

All right, aspiring web developers and disgruntled dot-bomb employees. Your objective today is to modernize this archaic service: develop a functional implementation of Flash and JavaScript pop-under advertisements, then ensure that all original content is publicly inaccessible. Finally, schedule a decadent yacht party. We're going to party like it's 1999!

It inspired Al Gore

[Anonymous Coward]

"'Calling Minitel a proto-internet may be a bit of a stretch, but it is not far off."

It has been said that Al Gore saw one of these when he visited Paris, and it inspired him to create the Internet when he got home.

Thank you, France! For the fries, and now for the 'Net!

Re:Darpanet?

[Vollernurd]

Not quite - Minitel was used in homes from the start. Darpanet was, as it's name states, used purely for Defence and Academic applications. The WWW was not around until 1992. Or something.