A 500-channel cable system will surely deliver unfathomable and boundless mediocrity. And with more channels, production values will further decline, since there will be less money spent per program.
Predictor: Stoll, Clifford
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “Silicon Snake Oil,” writer Clifford Stoll shares his take on the Internet’s future implications:”Then there’s the myth that our computer networks will bring diversity, culture, and novelty into our classrooms and homes … They promise 500 channels that will let us pick an entertaining and informative program from hundreds of offerings … A 500-channel cable system will surely deliver unfathomable and boundless mediocrity. And with more channels, production values will further decline, since there will be less money spent per program.”
Biography:Clifford Stoll was an astrophysicist who also wrote the influential books “Silicon Snake Oil” (1995) and “The Cuckoo’s Egg.” A long-time network user, Stoll made “Silicon Snake Oil” his platform for finding fault with the Internet hype of the early 1990s. He pointed out the pitfalls of a completely networked society and offered arguments in opposition to the hype. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Silicon Snake Oil
Title, headline, chapter name: An Amalgam of Popular Fictions About the Internet, Including Brief Trips to China and The City of No Illusions
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 21
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Tencer, Elizabeth L.