In the real world, people with just and unjust causes can place themselves in public spaces so as to be seen and heard whether we want to or not. They cannot be “screened out,” by law. If cyberspace is to have any purely public domains, then, provision (ii) of The Principle of Personal Visibility must be suspended there. And by law.
Predictor: Benedikt, Michael L.
Prediction, in context:In his 1994 essay “Physics for Phantoms,” Michael Bendedikt talks of the right of users to have access to others’ personal information as a function of the “Principle of Personal Visibility” but considers the political implications of having the ability to “screen out…the sight and sound of others to ourselves.” ”In the real world, people with just and unjust causes can place themselves in public spaces so as to be seen and heard whether we want to or not. They cannot be ‘screened out,’ by law. If cyberspace is to have any purely public domains, then, provision (ii) of The Principle of Personal Visibility must be suspended there. And by law.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Virtual Communities
Name of publication: Softworlds Inc.
Title, headline, chapter name: Physics for Phantoms
Quote Type: Partial quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.ar.utexas.edu/center/benedikt_articles/physics.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Boone, Jason Matthew