P.S. What do you mean by 'the internet is almost frictionless commerce'
Not to derail the thread . . .
That comment was just a viewpoint I have. . .
If your asking what frictionless commerce is . . I'm referring to the statement of what e-commerce (business online) was herald as when it expanded in the early 90's. The idea the you can conduct business without any delays or 'friction'.
If what your asking is why I said 'almost' frictionless. I'm not as optimistic as others. The net is open to all, and currently (network neutrality) equally, to a degree (granted better than ever before by far).
Still most people are still guided, subdued, and 'lead' around websites by a select few. The best product doesn't always get promoted, and the best sites may never get out. (As a black hatter you should understand this best). Furthermore there are still a ton of pitfalls, scammers, delays, ect.
Finally if history repeats you can bet your ass, net neutrality won't stay. Study the U.S's history of communication from newsprint, to telegraph, to radio, motion picture, and television and you'll see a patterns. The net may just be another blip. So in essence the net is still not 'frictionless' nor will it ever be, commerce just has less friction than it did before.
Make sense