The prediction, in brief:

In the past, communities have formed to meet needs as a group that we cannot meet as individuals. Today, group protection from marauding animals or enemies is being replaced by group protection from the assaults of constant change and too much information. As information networking begins to enter mainstream society, each of us discovers new sources of data in our specific areas of interest, and suffers from the increasing pressure of information overload … Networking increases the opportunities for collaboration, which helps protect individuals from information overload.

Predictor: Odasz, Frank

Prediction, in context:

The 1995 book “Public Access to the Internet,” edited by Brian Kahin and James Keller carries the chapter, “Issues in the Development of Community Cooperative Networks” by Frank Odasz. Odasz is the director of Big Sky Telegraph, Western Montana College of the University of Montana. He writes:”In the past, communities have formed to meet needs as a group that we cannot meet as individuals. Today, group protection from marauding animals or enemies is being replaced by group protection from the assaults of constant change and too much information. As information networking begins to enter mainstream society, each of us discovers new sources of data in our specific areas of interest, and suffers from the increasing pressure of information overload … Networking increases the opportunities for collaboration, which helps protect individuals from information overload.”

Biography:

Frank Odasz was an assistant professor of computing education at the University of Colorado and the director of Big Sky Telegraph, a popular community network of the time. He was widely known as a speaker on community networking and educational technologies. (Technology Developer/Administrator.)

Date of prediction: January 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information

Subtopic: General

Name of publication: Public Access to the Internet (book)

Title, headline, chapter name: Issues in the Development of Community Cooperative Networks

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 118

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne