We're Not Really Connected

I read an interesting article today in Technology Review. The author, James Fallows, argues that although new "Web2.0" sites like Google Spreadsheets, Flickr, and Writely are wonderful and do what most people need them to do, they're only available while connected. But we're not really connected. Finally most internet users in the United States connect at broadband speeds but that's usually only at home or work. WiMax is not available yet and won't be for some time and hotspots are...well...spotty. While I'm a huge fan of the new AJAX sites and the connectivity they allow me to have with friends in remote places that I would have otherwise never met, they do require a connection. Ubiquitous affordable wireless technology cannot come fast enough!