Chapter 12: Critical Issues

As with all major changes, the benefits of the information society will carry costs. There will be dislocations in some business sectors that will create a need for worker retraining. The availability of virtually free communications and computing will alter the relationships of nations, and of socioeconomic groups within nations. The power and versatility of digital technology will raise new concerns about individual privacy, commercial confidentiality, and national security. There are, moreover, equity issues that will have to be addressed. The information society should serve all of its citizens, but only the technically sophisticated and economically privileged. In short, a range of important issues confronts us. I don’t necessarily have the solutions, but, as I started off the book saying, now is a good time for a broad discussion.

Chapter 12: Critical Issues

The new technology … will enhance leisure time and enrich culture by expanding the distribution of information. It will help relieve pressures on urban areas by enabling individuals to work from home or remote-site offices. It will relieve pressure on natural resources because increasing numbers of products will be able to take the form of bits rather than of manufactured goods. It will give us more control over our lives and allow experiences and products to be custom-tailored to our interests. Citizens of the information society will enjoy new opportunities for productivity, learning and, entertainment. Countries that move boldly and in concert with each other will enjoy economic rewards. Whole new markets will emerge, and myriad new opportunities.

Chapter 10: Plugged In At Home

The really interesting highway applications will grow out of the participation of tens or hundreds of millions or people, who will not just consume entertainment and other information, but will create it, too. Until millions of people are communicating with one another, exploring subjects of common interest and making all sorts of multimedia contributions, including high-quality video, there won’t be an information highway.

Chapter 10: Plugged In At Home

As on-line communities grow in importance, they will increasingly be where people turn to find out what the public is really thinking. People like to know what’s popular, which movies friends are watching, and what news others think is interesting. I want to read the same “newspaper front page” as those I’m going to meet with later today, so we can have something in common to talk about. You will be able to to see what places on the network are being looked at often. There will be all sorts of “hot lists” of the coolest places.

Chapter 8: Friction-Free Capitalism

Capitalism, demonstrably the greatest of the constructed economic systems, has in the past decade clearly proved its advantages over the alternative systems. The information highway will magnify those advantages. It will allow those who produce goods to see, a lot more efficiently than ever before, what buyers want, and will allow potential consumers to buy those goods more efficiently. Adam Smith would be pleased. More important, consumers everywhere will enjoy the benefits.