I don’t understand the hullabaloo. Can you imagine a more frivolous way to spend billions, hooking up people’s homes so that kids can compete playing Marioworld? The Information Highway is a buzzword, created by public-relations people and folks at the White House who want to be seen as technology visionaries. To me, it doesn’t mean anything.
Predictor: Valentine, Don
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for Newsweek magazine, Michael Meyer interviews Don Valentine, managing partner of Sequoia Capital and a venture capitalist. The interview is in a question-answer format: Meyer: “OK, so high-tech stocks are still a good deal. Everyone’s chattering about the Information Highway. You’ve said it’s hype. What gives?” Valentine: “I don’t understand the hullabaloo. Can you imagine a more frivolous way to spend billions, hooking up people’s homes so that kids can compete playing Marioworld? The Information Highway is a buzzword, created by public-relations people and folks at the White House who want to be seen as technology visionaries. To me, it doesn’t mean anything.” Meyer: “What about interactive TV? Movies on demand? Home shopping?” Valentine: “Pure, unadulterated bull. Do you really think anyone is going to ‘interact’ with ‘Casablanca,’ maybe change the ending where Claude Rains walks off with Humphrey Bogart? No way. Are we going to order pizzas ‘interactively’? Buy zirconium electronically and watch idiots talk about gemstones? No. We already have a way to ‘interact’ with the world. It’s called the telephone.”
Date of prediction: April 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: General, Overarching Remarks
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Newsweek
Title, headline, chapter name: High Tech, High Risk
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://weblinks2.epnet.com/citation.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs+0+ln+en%2Dus+sid+82DFC508%2D9049%2D41BD%2DAF6C%2DFB74E5F8A220%40Sessionmgr2+BF27&_uh=btn+N+idb+f5hish+jdb+f5hjnh+op+phrase+ss+ID++NWK+CCFA&_us=bs+JN++%22Newsweek%22++and++DT++19940411+ds+JN++%22Newsweek%22++and++DT++19940411+dstb+KS+fcl+Aut+ri+KAAACB1D00241525+sm+KS+BDD0&cf=1&fn=31&rn=31
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Garrison, Betty