Business on the Net are going to be based on these electronic communities, and the forum moderators are absolutely crucial to building them.
Predictor: Dyson, Esther
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article in The New York Times, reporter Steve Lohr writes about the people who run online forums, quoting Esther Dyson. Lohr writes: ”The franchise players of cyberspace … known as forum leaders, moderators, hosts or system operators … they manage the special-interest areas – entertainment, politics, health, personal finance and hundreds of others – that keep people online, and keep the meter running … The forum leader labors at the intersection of the new information technology and the timeless ryhthms of human nature, good and bad … The role of these online forum leaders is expected to grow in importance as companies seek opportunities on the wider arena of computer networks – the Internet and the World Wide Web, where graphics, audio and text can be presented. The best way for companies to make money on the Net, technology experts predict, will be to become part of the special-interest communities online, through sponsorship or advertising. The most skillful forum leaders will run the ‘hot’ sites with the biggest online audiences. ‘Business on the Net are going to be based on these electronic communities, and the forum moderators are absolutely crucial to building them,’ said Esther Dyson, editor of Release 1.0, a newsletter.”
Biography:Esther Dyson was founding editor of Release 1.0 and a consultant and expert on computing and high-tech applications. She served as the president of EDventure Holdings. She founded the PC Forum, an annual conference and industry event. She had the highest profile of the women of technology in the 1990s. (Futurist/Consultant.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Virtual Communities
Name of publication: New York Times
Title, headline, chapter name: They Let Their Fingers Do the Talking
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=bd5c934d7dcd1f983316df4d6e889257
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Falcone, Peter P.