How should we maintain the commons of the Internet, so that everyone can keep on benefiting from its openness? … Let’s imagine an organization called Network Watch whose purpose is to bring unfortunate network practices on the part of large organizations to the attention of the network community. This could include simple things, like advertising practices, but it could also include more sophisticated things, such as the diversion of personal information to purposes other than those for which it was collected. Obviously such a group would have to be cautious and encourage debate about what is and isn’t legitimate network activity, and it should keep reminding itself that its most important weapon is publicity, but it should also call for e-mail campaigns, boycotts, and other forms of pressure against particularly grievous or chronic offenders.
Predictor: Agre, Phil
Prediction, in context:The March 1994 issue of The Network Observer, an online newsletter, carries an article titled “The Internet as a Commons” by Phil Agre, TNO editor, who was, at the time, working in the Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. He writes:”How should we maintain the commons of the Internet, so that everyone can keep on benefiting from its openness? … here are some thoughts… Complaints: When someone does something on the net that seems anti-social, send them a note … Story-telling: … When disputes arise about proper net use, and when community standards have to be invoked to suppress unfortunate network behavior, it’s important to tell stories about the events, and to keep on telling the stories for the benefit of others. Curriculum materials: … What students learning about networks need now, in my view, is a textbook of the social aspects of network use. How do you get things done on the net? … Network Watch: Let’s imagine an organization called Network Watch whose purpose is to bring unfortunate network practices on the part of large organizations to the attention of the network community. This could include simple things, like advertising practices, but it could also include more sophisticated things, such as the diversion of personal information to purposes other than those for which it was collected. Obviously such a group would have to be cautious and encourage debate about what is and isn’t legitimate network activity, and it should keep reminding itself that its most important weapon is publicity, but it should also call for e-mail campaigns, boycotts, and other forms of pressure against particularly grievous or chronic offenders … Interface: É We know a lot about designing good interfaces by now, so we should do it. In particular, it’s quite important to watch some new users trying to use the system, and to encourage new users to write about their experiences, since the long-timers have usually forgotten what the hard parts are … Concrete instructions … FAQs: Many folks on the net maintain lists of frequently asked questions É New net users should be directed to relevant FAQs through as many mechanisms as possible … Collective memory: FAQs are a kind of collective memory. We need tools to support the collection of many other kinds of collective memory as well … Better tools for maintainers: A lot of problems would be solved if it were easier for mailing list maintainers to screen the messages that are sent out to them.
Biography:Phillip E. Agre was an associate professor of information studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has been the author of research studies on the Internet. He edited The Network Observer, an online newsletter on Internet issues. (Research Scientist/Illuminator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Ethics/Values
Name of publication: The Network Observer
Title, headline, chapter name: The Internet as a Commons
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/tno/march-1994.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne