Some days I think a world networked by computers will be a better place to live. Some days I get very, very worried … Active badges should scare the daylights out of anyone. When it comes to connectivity, the employer must justify the surveillance. Everyone must assume that only extraordinary conditions merit surveillance. The requisite argument must not be, “Why do you not want to wear the badge?” The requisite argument must be “Why do you want me to wear it?” We must demand that the burden of proof is on the watcher, not the watched.
Predictor: Doheny-Farina, Stephen
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for Computer-Mediated Communication magazine, Stephen Doheny-Farina, a professor of technical communication at Clarkson University, writes:”Some days I think a world networked by computers will be a better place to live. Some days I get very, very worried … especially when I read articles like Howard Rheingold’s ‘PARC is Back!’ in Wired 2.02. One of the most interesting passages Rheingold’s piece describes PARC researcher Mark Weiser and his work with ubiquitous computing, or Ubicomp, as Weiser calls it. According to Rheingold’s version of Weiser’s work, Ubicomp represents the attempt to make computers invisible. That is, it attempts to get working computers out of your way when you do your work. This means the technologies must evolve beyond easy-to-use interfaces and away from virtual reality. Merely improving interfaces makes the obstruction (your computer) nothing more than an easier to use obstruction. VR places your entire working universe within the computer making the device the ultimate obstruction. Instead, the goal, according to Rheingold’s article, is to enable you to work with the aid of computers while never actually having to focus on working the computers … I like a principle that seems to privilege human activity over computer use. At least I liked it until I began to read about some specific technological developments in Ubicomp. Rheingold describes something called an “active badge”: [which allows a person or thing to be tracked anywhere] … Active badges should scare the daylights out of anyone. When it comes to connectivity, the employer must justify the surveillance. Everyone must assume that only extraordinary conditions merit surveillance. The requisite argument must not be, ‘Why do you not want to wear the badge?’ The requisite argument must be ‘Why do you want me to wear it?’ We must demand that the burden of proof is on the watcher, not the watched.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Wireless Technologies
Name of publication: Computer-Mediated Communication
Title, headline, chapter name: The Last Link: Default = Offline Or Why Ubicomp Scares Me
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1994/oct/last.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Lawrence, Butler