Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.
Predictor: Stoll, Clifford
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article for Newsweek, Clifford Stoll, author of the book “Silicon Snake Oil,” a cautionary look at the impact of computers and the Internet, writes: ”After two decades online, I’m perplexed. It’s not that I haven’t had a gas of a good time on the Internet. I’ve met great people and even caught a hacker or two. But today I’m uneasy about this most trendy and oversold commodity. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms. They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities. Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems. And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic. Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.”
Biography:Clifford Stoll was an astrophysicist who also wrote the influential books “Silicon Snake Oil” (1995) and “The Cuckoo’s Egg.” A long-time network user, Stoll made “Silicon Snake Oil” his platform for finding fault with the Internet hype of the early 1990s. He pointed out the pitfalls of a completely networked society and offered arguments in opposition to the hype. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: February 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: General, Overarching Remarks
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Newsweek
Title, headline, chapter name: The Internet? Bah! Why Cyberspace isn’t and Never Will Be Nirvana
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=52da77815d5cde87ee28054dc52fda65&_docnum=7&wchp=dGLbVlb-lSlAl&_md5=1d21907b93b3954deec2ef208ffe260c
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Tencer, Elizabeth L.