The prediction, in brief:

If public participation is to have an effective role in the shaping of the national information infrastructure, it is important to begin now … By the time widespread interaction begins to create social awareness of the consequences these systems will have, it will be too late to act. Democratic participation is needed in the design stage, before technological momentum, sunken costs, and powerful constituencies solidify these networks.

Predictor: Monberg, John

Prediction, in context:

In a 1994 article for Computer-Mediated Communication magazine, John Monberg, a graduate student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, writes:”If public participation is to have an effective role in the shaping of the national information infrastructure, it is important to begin now. The field is still relatively fluid. Questions remain unanswered: What partnerships will prosper? What products will be offered? What markets will exist? What charging mechanism will be used? Who will be the critical gatekeepers? How will intellectual property rights be protected? How will news about public issues be delivered? More than a dozen significant pilot projects are under way, and corporations are beginning to invest the tens of billions of dollars that will lead to the creation of the several hundred-billion-dollar networks. By the time widespread interaction begins to create social awareness of the consequences these systems will have, it will be too late to act. Democratic participation is needed in the design stage, before technological momentum, sunken costs, and powerful constituencies solidify these networks.”

Date of prediction: January 1, 1994

Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure

Subtopic: General

Name of publication: Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine

Title, headline, chapter name: Welcome to the Emerald City! Please Ignore the Man Behind the Curtain

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1994/nov/emerald.html

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Walsh, Meghan