However this all falls out, it’s going to be critically important if whoever ends up owning this fiber has an antagonistic relationship to Microsoft or the Microsoft Network. In that event, the Internet is just cut off and dies.
Predictor: Lanier, Jaron
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article for Electronic Engineering Times, Larry Lange talks with virtual-reality entrepreneur Jaron Lanier. Lange writes: ”He abhors the notion that, ‘we’re a consumer population passively sitting around saying, “When will somebody come and bring us our fiber?” There’s an absurdity to it because any organized effort to bring fiber is undoubtedly going to bring with it some kind of horrific cost in terms of government intervention and policy, because of the monopoly grants and also in terms of payback. It’s preposterous.’ He concluded that: ‘However this all falls out, it’s going to be critically important if whoever ends up owning this fiber has an antagonistic relationship to Microsoft or the Microsoft Network. In that event, the Internet is just cut off and dies.'”
Biography:Jaron Lanier was a pioneer of virtual reality and founder and former CEO of VPL. (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: September 25, 1995
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Internet Service Providers
Name of publication: Electronic Engineering Times
Title, headline, chapter name: The ‘Nightmare Scenario’
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=e41899dd868358e2c12567ae35dc0370&_docnum=6&wchp=dGLbVlz-lSlAl&_md5=db9f3530ced518f1dd258c02d16ef8af
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney