The troubles Obamacare has had with its web site have reminded me of how intractable the web is. On the one hand, we can’t get along without it. On the other hand, visits to web sites are one of the most frustrating activities we have to endure. Some of us think we should be rebuilding our nation’s hard infrastructure—roads, bridges, airports, rails. We also need to address the electronic web’s infrastructure. Surely there is a better way to run it.

Perhaps you have recently been dependent on the web and found it troublesome. I’ve been ordering presents—mostly Legos—and making arrangements for a trip.

The Lego site was fine. Everything else was a mess.

I eventually had to phone Shutterfly since its wording was confusing and I had ordered two of everything. It was a good thing I talked to a human because the nice man on the other end pointed out that coupons on the site reduced the cost of items considerably. I never did find them on the web site. Continue reading →