The information superhighway, like the Yellow Brick Road, is the route we must take to reach the Information Age … Problems of communication are in fact at the heart of the economic, social, and political difficulties that a great many citizens must contend with in the impoverished communities of the United States.
Predictor: Gandy, Oscar H.
Prediction, in context:In this 1994 article in the Phi Kappa Phi journal National Forum, Professor Oscar Gandy uses L. Frank Baum’s story of “Oz” as the underlying metaphoric hook for his concerns about the Internet. Gandy writes: ”The information superhighway, like the Yellow Brick Road, is the route we must take to reach the Information Age. Like the Emerald City, the Information Age is the place where wizards, ‘knowbots,’ or other ‘personal assistants’ are expected to provide solutions to the problems each of us is bound to face. Although these are not the problems of the heartless, brainless, and cowardly subjects in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ problems of communication are in fact at the heart of the economic, social, and political difficulties that a great many citizens must contend with in the impoverished communities of the United States.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: General, Overarching Remarks
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: National Forum
Title, headline, chapter name: The Information Superhighway as the Yellow Brick Road
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?Did=000000005878683&Fmt=3&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=5&Sid=6&RQT=309
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Edwards, Elizabeth