WebSiteOptimisation.com say: Within the last five years, the size of the average web page has more than tripled, and the number of external objects has nearly doubled. While broadband users have experienced faster load times, dial-up users have been left behind. With the average web page sporting more than 50 external objects, object overhead now dominates most web page delays.
Read it: http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/average-web-page/
I am somewhat sceptical reading a report like this from a company that offer a solution to the problem identified in the report, but it makes for interesting reading...
I am delighted at the irony of this though, the success of the internet and adoption of web 2.0 is going to kill it... beautiful... I wonder what Bill Hicks would say?