QUBE and How History is Told

There is an interesting video circulating about how newspapers were going on line in the early 19080s. Newspaper Video It gives the impression that all of this insight was driven by the newspapers. The giveaway in the video is reference to Columbus, OH. That was where QUBE, the creation of Warner Cable and its head Gus Hauser was started in 1978. I joined in 1980 and one of my first tasks was to talk to the ANPA, the Newspaper Publishers Association I believe in Reston, VA. I told them how newsprint would eventually be driven from the market by electronic means. Well a bit early but spot on.

The commentary on this video by those who have no idea what they are talking about is amazing. I refer you to one commenter who apparently having no knowledge of the facts, in fact no interest in finding out, states that he wonders how they did this with no way of making money. I can assure you that this was hardly the case. The Boston Globe, The New York Times and on and on saw this as a threat but they were a bit like deer in the headlights.

Out of QUBE came both technology and content. The technology was two way cable with data and the content was MTV, Nickelodeon, Showtime and the like. Interactive video and video on demand. Gus Hauser led this effort on a small budget and then Warner was wonderfully positioned when the franchise wars started. It had an operational system and content.

In 1981 I developed the first two way video on demand system and we deployed it in 1982. This used the metaphor of a shopping mall to move around this electronic shopping mall. The naysayers at the time were some Board members like Lou Gerstner, subsequently CEO of IBM, perhaps out of lack of foresight or perhaps out of the fact that we were a bit too early. Yet during this period there were massive developments which embodied many if not all of what we see today.

The lesson from this little and ancient video is first find out what and why, history counts, especially when it can be readily accessed and second I am amazed as to how plebeian and crude some of the people are who put their "thoughts" up on the comment boards.