The prediction, in brief:

The future belongs to those who have ready access to huge amounts of accurate information … In the United States there is only a vague consensus that this high-bandwidth network is vital. In place of the unity of purpose evident in Japan, there is internecine squabbling over who has the right to do what/to where/to whom.

Predictor: Karraker, Roger

Prediction, in context:

In a 1991 article for The Whole Earth Review, a quarterly magazine of access to tools and ideas, Roger Karraker writes about the network:”Virtually all sides to the controversy [over the positives and negatives of the Internet] agree that such networks are essential. The future belongs to those who have ready access to huge amounts of accurate information. The Japanese government and industry are actively building such a network. The Japanese government estimates that in 20 years 35 percent of Japan’s gross national product will be dependent on information that flows across this Web. In the United States there is only a vague consensus that this high-bandwidth network is vital. In place of the unity of purpose evident in Japan, there is internecine squabbling over who has the right to do what/to where/to whom.”

Date of prediction: January 1, 1991

Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure

Subtopic: General

Name of publication: Whole Earth Revue

Title, headline, chapter name: Highways of the Mind or Toll Roads Between Information Castles?

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.eff.org/Net_culture/Criticisms/hiways_of_mind.article

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Stotler, Larry