The prediction, in brief:

The Internet is characterized by “the problem of the commons,” and without instituting new mechanisms for congestion control it is likely to soon suffer from server “overgrazing.”

Predictor: MacKie-Mason, Jeffrey K.

Prediction, in context:

The 1995 book “Public Access to the Internet,” edited by Brian Kahin and James Keller carries the chapter, “Pricing the Internet” by Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason and Hal R. Varian. MacKie is an associate professor of economics and Varian is a professor of economics at the University of Michigan. They write:”The Internet is characterized by ‘the problem of the commons,’ and without instituting new mechanisms for congestion control it is likely to soon suffer from server ‘overgrazing.'”

Date of prediction: January 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure

Subtopic: Bandwidth

Name of publication: Public Access to the Internet (book)

Title, headline, chapter name: Pricing the Internet

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 269

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne