The prediction, in brief:

Cyberspace without carefully laid channels of choice may become a waste of space.

Predictor: Heim, Michael

Prediction, in context:

In his early 1990s essay, “The Erotic Ontology of Cyberspace,” which was published in the collection “Cyberspace: First Steps,” Michael Heim, the author of ‘Electric Language’ and a lecturer in philosophy at California State University, writes:”If cyberspace unfolds like existing large-scale media, we might expect a debasement of discriminating attention. If the economics of marketing forces the matrix to hold the attention of a critical mass of the population, we might expect a flashy liveliness and a flimsy currency to replace depth of content. Sustained attention will give way to fast-paced cuts … Cyberspace without carefully laid channels of choice may become a waste of space.”

Date of prediction: January 1, 1992

Topic of prediction: General, Overarching Remarks

Subtopic: General

Name of publication: Cyberspace: First Steps

Title, headline, chapter name: The Erotic Ontology of Cyberspace

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 78

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Garrison, Betty