
Shopping malls are 'portals' to shops with niche appeal, and multiplexes provide easy access to hit films made by several competing studios. Who will be the online equivalent of these offline commerce successes? If mass media is required for the 'hit,' what role will the major portals, big media and other mass consumer consolidators play in the future of niche communities? How will online communities work to evolve the sponsor/media relationship into avaluable commerce partnership?