And yet it gets it so wrong too, far more value is in delivering standard pizzas and standard T-shirts than custom pizzas and t-shirts.
It thinks that just offering a cart is a waste of the internet's potential rather than worth the billions that it is.
You may be correct in that the bulk of the market is in standard pizza & t-shirts, but the internet/computers didn't create that market.
The article was pointing out what ordering over the internet with computers can potentially add to the ordering experience. Using the "web" in the same way one might have used a fax machine isn't particularly interesting then or now.
The article made largely accurate predictions of the future (now-present), except for one fatal assumption:
"Surely, a lot of those people would be prepared to pay a little premium to custom-design their own pizza [with the visual pizza builder online]."
No, users will NOT pay extra to custom design a pizza online. They will simply expect it.
The code name for Netscape was Mozilla, the ‘Mosaic killer’
Holy crap, I never knew where Mozilla came from.
(obligatory xkcd-everyone-knows goes here)
Re:Pizza Hut’s First Website
by gavindean90 on Tuesday October 22, 2019 @01:27PM
(#21326316)
I mean it should be around 10,000 today that are learning about the xkcd for the first time:
https://xkcd.com/1053/
Fun fact: Googling "mosaic" today returns a page full of results about art. Even if you search for "mosaic software", you get a bunch of software for creating mosaics. If you want to read about Mosaic today, you need to already know that it's a browser.
You can also find it if you know its full name, "NCSA Mosaic".
My first Internet browsing experience was on Netscape Navigator in 1996. Even back then I wouldn't have known about Mosaic, which pretty much was Netscape.
Re:Pizza Hut’s First Website
by CamperBob2 on Tuesday October 22, 2019 @02:26AM
(#21320866)
“Instead of simply letting people order a pizza, why not let them design it as well? Instead of showing an ordinary menu with a list of toppings, show a picture of a pizza with the toppings clustered on the side.”
Whoever does this for Mongolian BBQ delivery will be the next Bill Gates.
Quote near beginning to put things in context of where we were back in 1994 :
“ To participate in the pilot, hungry Santa Cruzers need computers with Internet access and a version of an Internet interface program called Mosaic.”
But other interesting predictions:
“Instead of simply letting people order a pizza, why not let them design it as well? Instead of showing an ordinary menu with a list of toppings, show a picture of a pizza with the toppings clustered on the side.”
And then : “Why not customized T-shirts? Log on to the Internet and browse through assorted logos and designs. Mix, match and modify them to suit your interest. Then superimpose them onto the virtual T-shirt on the screen. Hit the right key and within 48 hours your new shirt is Fed-Exed to the desired address.
Of course, this network designability concept easily extends to bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolates, fruit baskets and the $6.85-billion annual market in mail-order clothes shopping. It would be perfect for all kinds of gift giving.”