Ian's point hearkens back to a (not very original) core point from my "all but" dissertation: that there is a pattern where new practices and technologies are first enjoyed in an early "organic" state, where a wide variety of uses happen, but then are often (always?) reshaped by dominant forces (eg, capitalism) to focus on narrower use. A classic example is the cacophonic early days of radio and the subsequent assertion of control over the radio spectrum by government, the military, and commerce.