The promise of electronic access is plagued by the problems of privacy, data security, lack of availability of the needed hardware and software for the public user, cost, inconsistent data formats, a patchwork of pricing schemes, absence of metadata, and lack of expert support for the public user. But more fundamental than those problems is that government collects and saves far more information than even it needs, this information is often redundant, and it is of no interest to anyone.
Predictor: Varn, Richard
Prediction, in context:In a 1993 article for Information Today, Lois Lunn tells about Iowa State Senator Richard Varn’s appearance before the March 25 Annual Forum on Federal Information Policies hosted by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee. Lunn writes of Varn’s remarks:”As described by Senator Richard Varn, Iowa State Legistlature, Iowans soon will be sharing information over a fiberoptic network … [with] access points in each of the state’s 99 counties. [Said Varn] ‘The promise of electronic access is plagued by the problems of privacy, data security, lack of availability of the needed hardware and software for the public user, cost, inconsistent data formats, a patchwork of pricing schemes, absence of metadata, and lack of expert support for the public user. But more fundamental than those problems is that government collects and saves far more information than even it needs, this information is often redundant, and it is of no interest to anyone.'”
Date of prediction: March 25, 1993
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Information Today
Title, headline, chapter name: On the Way to a National Electronic Library
Quote Type: Paraphrase
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=03-05-2003&FMT=FT&DID=00000000050...
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney