The Jeffersonian ideal – a system that promotes grassroots democracy, diversity of users and manufacturers, true communications among the people, and all the dazzling goodies of home shopping, movies on demand, teleconferencing, and cheap, instant databases – is composed of high bandwidth, an open architecture, and distributed two-way switching. It’s our choice to make. Let’s not blow it.
Predictor: Kapor, Mitchell
Prediction, in context:In a 1993 article for Wired magazine, Mitchell Kapor, a co-founder of the Electronic Freedom Foundation, writes: ”The optimist in me thinks we should give telephone and cable companies every opportunity to get it right. In fact, we should seek to educate and enlighten, while developing contingency plans. Here are some principles: Encourage competition. Competition does more to keep firms honest than a roomful of regulators. Where necessary, government intervention should be minimal. It should not take the form of heavy-duty regulation of operations, which is self- defeating, but in the adoption, oversight, and if necessary, enforcement, of certain principles.The networks must be built as open systems intended to support the greatest possible diversity in: Access – Everyone should be able to connect. Content – Users should be able to determine the content of the system. Uses – People should be able to choose the roles they wish to play, whether as consumers, providers, or both. Architecture – Networks must be built as a series of inter-operable components with well-defined published interfaces, which permit maximum third-party competition. Protect free speech and privacy – Constitutional protections of personal privacy and freedom of expression should be extended to the emerging networks. The Jeffersonian ideal – a system that promotes grassroots democracy, diversity of users and manufacturers, true communications among the people, and all the dazzling goodies of home shopping, movies on demand, teleconferencing, and cheap, instant databases – is composed of high bandwidth, an open architecture, and distributed two-way switching. It’s our choice to make. Let’s not blow it.”
Biography:Mitchell Kapor founded the Lotus Development Corporation and also founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation with WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link) members John Perry Barlow and John Gilmore in 1990 in direct response to a threat to free speech. He was an outspoken supporter of open access to the Internet, and was asked to speak in many venues about the issue, including Congressional hearings. (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1993
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Open Access
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Where is the Digital Highway Really Heading? The Case for a Jeffersonian Information Policy
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.03/kapor.on.nii_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney