Nobody has a clear idea who pays for what on the Internet, but it appears to be free to most users. Even if this changes in the future and some rational economic model is laid on top of the Internet, it may cost a penny or two to distribute a million bits to a million people. It certainly will not cost anything like postage or FedEx rates, which are based on moving atoms.
Predictor: Negroponte, Nicholas
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “Being Digital,” Nicholas Negroponte writes: ”Nobody has a clear idea who pays for what on the Internet, but it appears to be free to most users. Even if this changes in the future and some rational economic model is laid on top of the Internet, it may cost a penny or two to distribute a million bits to a million people. It certainly will not cost anything like postage or FedEx rates, which are based on moving atoms.”
Biography:Nicholas Negroponte, a co-founder of MIT’s Media Lab and a popular speaker and writer about technologies of the future, wrote one of the 1990s’ best-selling books about the new future of communications, “Being Digital.” (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: February 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Cost/Pricing
Name of publication: Being Digital (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 4: The Bit Police
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 60
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne