I see the current page paradigm as an absolutely necessary interim step to go from paper-based to electronic-based information systems. But as media start to mix, the page paradigm breaks down … Interactive documents are more satisfying than their printed counterparts. There is a value added that paper doesn’t have. People add value to electronic documents with bookmarks, links, and jumps that are lost when they’re printed. Meanwhile, we will live and work in a partly paper, partly electronic world for a fairly long period of time while digital infrastructures can get put in place. The reason you can’t jump from paper to a totally electronic media is there’s no economic justification for doing it prior to having the digital information to deliver.
Predictor: Warnock, John
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for Wired magazine, David Henry Goodstein interviews John Warnock, the founder of Adobe Systems. Goodstein quotes Warnock: ”I see the current page paradigm as an absolutely necessary interim step to go from paper-based to electronic-based information systems. But as media start to mix, the page paradigm breaks down. Now, it breaks down in ways that are interesting. Interactive documents are more satisfying than their printed counterparts. There is a value added that paper doesn’t have. People add value to electronic documents with bookmarks, links, and jumps that are lost when they’re printed. Meanwhile, we will live and work in a partly paper, partly electronic world for a fairly long period of time while digital infrastructures can get put in place. The reason you can’t jump from paper to a totally electronic media is there’s no economic justification for doing it prior to having the digital information to deliver. AT&T and the Bell operating companies are not going to ‘own’ this business. Neither will 3DO. That dictates cooperation and standards if the transition from the paper base to the electronic delivery is to be effective.”
Biography:John Warnock was the founder of Adobe, a major software maker of the 1990s. He introduced the concept of PDF in 1991. (Technology Developer/Administrator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Language/Interface/Software
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Scriptwriter: John Warnock, the Inventor of PostScript and the Founder of Adobe Systems, Plots the Future of Media
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.07/postscript_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney