The telephone companies would need to set up the NII’s initial transport capabilities and communication conventions … Because the NII’s communication conventions would be so vital, special-interest groups would form to establish and maintain these standards. One group, for example, might tackle common conventions for financial transactions, another for manufacturing information and another for entertainment.
Predictor: Dertouzos, Michael
Prediction, in context:In a 1991 article for Technology Review, MIT researcher/administrator Michael Dertouzos writes: ”The telephone companies would need to set up the NII’s initial transport capabilities and communication conventions. They should begin modestly, with a few dozen electronic forms for handling business mall, for placing and settling orders, and for querying existing information services. They should also devise a few essential common servers, such as white-page and yellow-page directories. Regulatory agencies – particularly the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the justice Department – would oversee such activities. Because the NII’s communication conventions would be so vital, special-interest groups would form to establish and maintain these standards. One group, for example, might tackle common conventions for financial transactions, another for manufacturing information and another for entertainment.”
Biography:Michael Dertouzos was director of the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and the author of “The Unfinished Revolution.” He led a project intended to make computers adapt to people. He outlined a comprehensive proposal for a national information “infrastructure” in a 1991 article for Technology Review. (Research Scientist/Illuminator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1991
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Role of Govt./Industry
Name of publication: Technology Review
Title, headline, chapter name: Building the Information Marketplace
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web3.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/237/651/57953601w3/purl=rc1_EAIM_0_A9329382&dyn=5!xrn_1_0_A9329382?sw_aep=ncliveec
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Dube, Kristin