Marc Andreessen posts thought provokers all the time on his must read blog, but this once, I just have to comment. In “The three kinds of platforms you meet on the Internet” he attempts to clear up confusion about the concept of “platforms” and how they relate to the Internet. Specifically, he describes three “levels” of platforms that you find on the Internet. Go read his post for context. But let me just say that I feel his descriptions are spot on. But the examples he gives for “Level 3” platforms miss a biggie…
The Web itself is a Level 3 platform according to his definition.
It looks like Fred Wilson agrees with my point of view on this.