The government should not be in the business of delivering glitzy technologies to people who already have more than their share, while others descend into destitution and hopelessness. At some point we will have to realize that the public interest requires attention to equity and justice. We should make sure that we include terms like equity and justice in the new vocabulary we’re starting to use to talk about the information superhighway.
Predictor: Simons, Barbara
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for The San Francisco Chronicle, Barbara Simons, chair of the U.S. Public Policy Committee for the Association for Computing Machinery, and Gary Chapman, coordinator of the 21st Century Project, write: ”Our information superhighway will probably be the envy of all other nations, but will it serve all Americans equally? And if not, does it deserve public funds and the scarce time of our elected officials? These are questions that are missing amidst all the hype about the wonders of the coming digital, interactive highway. But these are questions that all Americans should be asking their representatives. The government should not be in the business of delivering glitzy technologies to people who already have more than their share, while others descend into destitution and hopelessness. At some point we will have to realize that the public interest requires attention to equity and justice. We should make sure that we include terms like equity and justice in the new vocabulary we’re starting to use to talk about the information superhighway.”
Biography:Barbara Simons was a 1990s leader in technology-policy issues. She founded and chaired the Association for Computing Machinery’s U.S. Technology Policy Committee (USACM) and was ACM secretary from 1990 to 1992, prior to which she chaired the ACM Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights. (Research Scientist/Illuminator.)
Date of prediction: January 17, 1994
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Digital Divide
Name of publication: San Francisco Chronicle
Title, headline, chapter name: Information Highway Has Many Potholes
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page B3
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Stewart, Ben L.