Was it that obvious?   

Did a good job though so I'll let him off.

Cheers by the way

No worries.  If we can do anything to help you use our services better, all the better for all concerned

Has this changed any since we use a lot more broadband these days?

I dunno if it would in NZ.  We've still got small data allowances so the less wasted on pages that are bigger than they should be the better it is for everyone.

The worst ones are the sites that upload full size images from their cameras or designers or whatever and they've got 3-5MB images that the browser has to resize even though it still has to download the full image.  A total waste of time and bandwidth and computer power.

It is still relevant with regard to the differences between print/traditional media and the internet.  Broadband has narrowed this gap somewhat, but sites should always be optimised, as it is easier on the network, easier on the server, and easier on the end user's browser. 

Also, as Fred pointed out, many countries - NZ included - have data caps, so the less browsing uses, the better it is for the end user and the ISP (who don't have to purchase so much capacity, which is expensive). 

Also when someone sits down at a computer to look at a website they expect a different experience to someone who is reading a magazine.  So it's not not just whether it suits the medium it's also whether it meets someone's expectations.  If I'm on a website I don't want to be reading through columns and columns of writing.

Alex, I believe most would agree with you, and in fact - had this conversation a couple of days ago, regarding large amounts of text on a website and under what conditions it's ok. There are situations it is the right thing to do, but for the majority of sites it is not necessary, and often inhibits the flow of communication.