The first problem of access is language … Even where scripts are available, different programs may use different codes to represent the same character, and the files may be very large – both factors making electronic mail impracticable. If you accept that in future all business and scientific communication will be in English, the solution to this problem is merely a question of improving education. However, almost every script and alphabet known to humanity should soon be available on computers – within two or three years … For technical reasons, the “header” on an electronic message – who sent it to you, when and whence – will remain in English-based computer gobbledegook.
Predictor: Holderness, Mike
Prediction, in context:In his 1993 article on worldwide electronic communication, Mike Holderness writes about overcoming problems of Internet access in all countries for all peoples: ”The first problem of access is language … Even where scripts are available, different programs may use different codes to represent the same character, and the files may be very large – both factors making electronic mail impracticable. If you accept that in future all business and scientific communication will be in English, the solution to this problem is merely a question of improving education. However, almost every script and alphabet known to humanity should soon be available on computers – within two or three years, according to Michael Suignard of Microsoft Europe in Paris. Microsoft’s ‘WIN-NT’ computer operating system, due to be released later in 1993, will implement the joint International Standards Organisation and Unicode standard. The first draft of this, to be published soon, after five years’ discussion, will specify a consistent and compact way of encoding dozens of scripts in computer files, including Bangala (Bengali) and Devanagari (Sanskrit and Hindi), Tibetan, Lao, Tamil, much of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean scripts, and dozens of others. The draft even mentions projects to include Cree and Cherokee in the next release. One remaining difficulty is getting people to design the typefaces to display the characters of the various languages. Another is getting actual user programs to display and edit text. And for technical reasons, the ‘header’ on an electronic message – who sent it to you, when and whence – will remain in English-based computer gobbledegook.”
Date of prediction: March 2, 1993
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Language/Interface/Software
Name of publication: New Scientist
Title, headline, chapter name: Down and Out on the Electronic Frontier
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.poptel.org.uk/nuj/mike/articles/nsc-elec.htm
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney