What tools and policies are suggested by viewing the net as a social technology? Electronic groups have not been the major focus for network tool development to date, although a few helpful tools exist … Tools and services that help people find, join, participate in, and derive benefit from groups are important. Some tools might help people differentiate among groups and remind them of what group they are in. These could encompass tools for group vitalization, group identity, and group memory – various ways to evoke the “character” and charter of a group … Tools are also needed to help people offer services targeted to groups, rather than individuals. Such services might include digesting or indexing group messages, matchmaking, toast-mastering, hosting, mediation, and conflict resolution.
Predictor: Sproull, Lee
Prediction, in context:The 1995 book “Public Access to the Internet,” edited by Brian Kahin and James Keller carries the chapter, “Atheism, Sex, and Databases: The Net as a Social Technology” by Lee Sproull and Samer Faraj. Sproull was a professor of management at Boston University and has done research on electronic groups that was sponsored by the Markle Foundation. Faraj was a doctoral student in MIS at Boston University. They write: ”What tools and policies are suggested by viewing the net as a social technology? Electronic groups have not been the major focus for network tool development to date, although a few helpful tools exist … Tools and services that help people find, join, participate in, and derive benefit from groups are important. Some tools might help people differentiate among groups and remind them of what group they are in. These could encompass tools for group vitalization, group identity, and group memory – various ways to evoke the ‘character’ and charter of a group. For example, some tools might represent different groups by using icons or graphics to display images of relevant places, people, or symbols. They might use behaviors (such as the number of messages a day) or attributes (such as the number of readers or posters with particular characteristics) to create representations that reflect the changing nature of the group. Tools are also needed to help people offer services targeted to groups, rather than individuals. Such services might include digesting or indexing group messages, matchmaking, toast-mastering, hosting, mediation, and conflict resolution.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Language/Interface/Software
Name of publication: Public Access to the Internet (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Atheism, Sex, and Databases: The Net as a Social Technology
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 76
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne