The future economic health of the United States lies squarely in our citizens’ ability to use telecommunications for productive ends. Telecommunications infrastructure investments must be matched with investments in citizen teleliteracy training and support for citizen innovations. The government’s biggest benefit from community networks will be the national tap on local innovations. Widespread grassroots innovations will be necessary for the potential of electronic delivery of government services to become reality and for our nation to be an economic leader in the information age.
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: ”The future economic health of the United States lies squarely in our citizens’ ability to use telecommunications for productive ends. Telecommunications infrastructure investments must be matched with investments in citizen teleliteracy training and support for citizen innovations. The government’s biggest benefit from community networks will be the national tap on local innovations. Widespread grassroots innovations will be necessary for the potential of electronic delivery of government services to become reality and for our nation to be an economic leader in the information age.”
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: General, Overarching Remarks
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:
Pages 135, 136
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne