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Stability in complex systems more often reflects lock-in than optimality. Network effects, path dependence, incumbent advantage, coordination problems, and absence of viable alternatives contributed to advertising's entrenchment—it persisted not because it was best, but because it was alone.
'Free at the point of use' became not merely a feature but a cultural baseline. New entrants were judged against incumbents that had already amortised costs and normalised advertising-funded access.
DM Section 7