Chapter 10: Plugged In At Home

One of the biggest concerns is parents having to contend with children who can find out about almost anything want to, right from a home information appliance. Already, rating systems are being designed to allow parental control over what kids have access to. This could become a major political issue if the information publishers don’t handle it properly.

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 10: Plugged In At Home

I can imagine the administration of every municipality, for example, becoming the focus of an electronic community. Sometimes I get annoyed by a traffic light near my office that always stays red longer than I think it should. I could write a letter to the city, telling the folks who program the lights that the timing isn’t optimal, but that would just be one cranky letter. On the other hand, if I could find the “community” of people who drive the route I do, we could send a strong complaint to the city.

Chapter 10: Plugged In At Home

Some communities will be very local, and some will be local. You won’t be overwhelmed by the number of choices of communities any more than you are now by the telephone system. You’ll look for a group that interests you in general, and then you’ll search through it for the small segment you want to join.

Chapter 10: Plugged In At Home

Gambling is a highly regulated business, so it’s difficult to predict what forms will be allowed on the highway. Maybe air travelers who are stuck on a plane with nothing else to do will be able to gamble with each other. Perhaps gambling services will have to provide full disclosure of the odds against you. The technology will allow people to bet on anything they choose to, and if it’s legal someone is sure to set up a service. It will be possible to bring horse races, dog races, or any other kind of live sports event into your home in real-time, so some of the excitement of the track or stadium will be made available. Many governments raise revenues with lotteries and in the future could provide plug-into electronic lotteries. The highway will make gambling far more difficult to control than it is today.