The ability to access sources of highly specific expertise and to manufacture this knowledge into unique information products and courses of action is likely to be key to future commercial success for individuals as well as businesses. Perhaps those who collaborate best to share information with others will be the most successful entrepreneurs, a key national resource … The nations that first establish a high degree of citizen “teleliteracy” may well become the new global economic leaders. Thus, successful implementation of the economic potential of networking must emphasize the development of these skills.
Predictor: Odasz, Frank
Prediction, in context:The 1995 book “Public Access to the Internet,” edited by Brian Kahin and James Keller carries the chapter, “Issues in the Development of Community Cooperative Networks” by Frank Odasz, the director of Big Sky Telegraph, Western Montana College of the University of Montana. He writes: ”Consider two visions of this future. First, an age of independent individuals in ruthless competition with each other on a global basis, with most people lacking the ability to compete. Now consider a second scenario: The competition of the industrial age is giving way to information-age collaboration as a strategy for success. While the key to success in the industrial age was to control and protect information, the key to success in the information age may be the ability to partner with those who represent sources of continually expanding expertise beyond one’s own specialty. The ability to access sources of highly specific expertise and to manufacture this knowledge into unique information products and courses of action is likely to be key to future commercial success for individuals as well as businesses. Perhaps those who collaborate best to share information with others will be the most successful entrepreneurs, a key national resource … The nations that first establish a high degree of citizen ‘teleliteracy’ may well become the new global economic leaders. Thus, successful implementation of the economic potential of networking must emphasize the development of these skills.”
Biography:Frank Odasz was an assistant professor of computing education at the University of Colorado and the director of Big Sky Telegraph, a popular community network of the time. He was widely known as a speaker on community networking and educational technologies. (Technology Developer/Administrator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Economic structures
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Public Access to the Internet (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Issues in the Development of Community Cooperative Networks
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 121
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne