The author of this commentary states that, except for the scale, there is little novel about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) because distance teaching courses have featured the same elements for many years. He notes the extreme view that MOOCs will destroy established universities, but asserts that this is a variation on doomsday predictions that have been voiced since the invention of the printing press. Both provider types are adapting to get market share. Overall, growth in both sectors is most probable. (Contains 1 figure.)