Although the Internet is growing fast, it will be a long time before computer terminals are as widely available as newspapers and televisions. Until then, only the technoliterati will be enfranchised with network access.
Predictor: Stoll, Clifford
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “Silicon Snake Oil,” writer Clifford Stoll shares his take on the Internet’s future implications for democracy and politics: ”Although the Internet is growing fast, it will be a long time before computer terminals are as widely available as newspapers and televisions. Until then, only the technoliterati will be enfranchised with network access. The electronic constituency is certainly unrepresentative. Across the continent, fewer than one voter in 50 has access to the network, and those who are connected come from the highest income group. Even among those with modems, few will read political statements – they’re as boring over the computer as they are on paper. The vast majority of people don’t own computers, so they’re excluded from online democracy.”
Biography:Clifford Stoll was an astrophysicist who also wrote the influential books “Silicon Snake Oil” (1995) and “The Cuckoo’s Egg.” A long-time network user, Stoll made “Silicon Snake Oil” his platform for finding fault with the Internet hype of the early 1990s. He pointed out the pitfalls of a completely networked society and offered arguments in opposition to the hype. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics
Subtopic: Democracy
Name of publication: Silicon Snake Oil
Title, headline, chapter name: An Amalgam of Popular Fictions About the Internet, Including Brief Trips to China and The City of No Illusions
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 32
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Tencer, Elizabeth L.