Comments on: Prophecies of the Internet, 1971 http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 16:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: jody http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071123 jody Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071123 To the naughty-minded folk, porn is included in: 6. PLAYS AND MOVIES FROM A VIDEO LIBRARY. Selection of all plays and movies. Color and good sound are required. To the naughty-minded folk, porn is included in:

6. PLAYS AND MOVIES FROM A VIDEO LIBRARY. Selection of all plays and movies. Color and good sound are required.

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070905 Mark Dow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070905 Wow, 30 of 30. That's some futurology. Wow, 30 of 30. That’s some futurology.

]]> By: bklynchris http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071423 bklynchris Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071423 What about the futurology that Japanese restaurants would be numerous enough to compare? What about the futurology that Japanese restaurants would be numerous enough to compare?

]]> By: Gag Halfrunt http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071686 Gag Halfrunt Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071686 Indian staff doing transcrption work for American doctors no doubt earn much less than the Americans they replaced, but are probably better qualified than them. Indian staff doing transcrption work for American doctors no doubt earn much less than the Americans they replaced, but are probably better qualified than them.

]]> By: eyebum http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070926 eyebum Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070926 Awesome. Now, can we just call these descriptions "prior art" and void all the stupid f#@king patent troll nonsense that is rampant now? "LOOK. SOMEONE THOUGHT OF THIS AND WROTE IT DOWN IN 1971. YOUR IDEA IS NOT ORIGINAL." Awesome.
Now, can we just call these descriptions “prior art” and void all the stupid f#@king patent troll nonsense that is rampant now?

“LOOK. SOMEONE THOUGHT OF THIS AND WROTE IT DOWN IN 1971. YOUR IDEA IS NOT ORIGINAL.”

]]> By: jetfx http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070927 jetfx Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070927 Pretty impressive that all of their predictions are bang on, but I would argue that their predictions are fairly conservative in nature. It's fairly easy to accurately predict possible technical applications of an emerging technology, but the hard part is predicting what its going to do to everything else. Pretty impressive that all of their predictions are bang on, but I would argue that their predictions are fairly conservative in nature. It’s fairly easy to accurately predict possible technical applications of an emerging technology, but the hard part is predicting what its going to do to everything else.

]]> By: hdon http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070930 hdon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070930 I wonder if he knew this exact document would become available, in perpetuity, to people all over the world Rest in peace I wonder if he knew this exact document would become available, in perpetuity, to people all over the world

Rest in peace

]]> By: nixiebunny http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070939 nixiebunny Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070939 They talk an awful lot about facsimile and not at all about ASCII text. What's up with that? They talk an awful lot about facsimile and not at all about ASCII text. What’s up with that?

]]> By: emo hex http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071460 emo hex Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071460 I'd love to know the break down of boingboing readers born . . . Pre 1971 Post 1971 I’d love to know the break down
of boingboing readers born . . .

Pre 1971 Post 1971

]]> By: DrPretto http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070949 DrPretto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070949 Very interesting, he was a visionary, bright man. What about this short film: 1999 A.D. (1967) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO58SGiYwwo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hXmab4T1A Very interesting, he was a visionary, bright man.
What about this short film: 1999 A.D. (1967)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO58SGiYwwo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hXmab4T1A

]]> By: muteboy http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070953 muteboy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070953 This is seriously make me well up. Beautiful. This is seriously make me well up. Beautiful.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070959 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070959 They missed porn. They missed porn.

]]> By: DrPretto http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070962 DrPretto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070962 More info on that movie: Wink Martindale confirms that “Year 1999 A.D.” was really made in 1966 by Ford Philco and isn’t a hoax: http://www.avgeeks.com/wp2/wink-martindale-talks-about-year-1999-ad/ More info on that movie:
Wink Martindale confirms that “Year 1999 A.D.” was really made in 1966 by Ford Philco and isn’t a hoax:
http://www.avgeeks.com/wp2/wink-martindale-talks-about-year-1999-ad/

]]> By: peterbruells http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070968 peterbruells Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070968 Probably because he wasn't a "futurologist" but an engeneer who worked on the stuff. Probably because he wasn’t a “futurologist” but an engeneer who worked on the stuff.

]]> By: ducu http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071736 ducu Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071736 Working on the DEDICATED NEWSPAPER prophecy → http://earlyedd.com Working on the DEDICATED NEWSPAPER prophecy → http://earlyedd.com

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070970 SamSam Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070970 I read "Adult Evening Courses on TV" as "Adult Evening TV," and thought, euphemisms aside, this guy knew what he was talking about... Then I realized my mistake and saw that he omitted to forecast one of the biggest uses of the internet, and so was disappointed. I read “Adult Evening Courses on TV” as “Adult Evening TV,” and thought, euphemisms aside, this guy knew what he was talking about…

Then I realized my mistake and saw that he omitted to forecast one of the biggest uses of the internet, and so was disappointed.

]]> By: DrPretto http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070972 DrPretto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070972 Also visionaries that imagined elements of waht we call internet today were Paul Otlet (1934), Jorge Luis Borges (1941) and Vannevar Bush (1945). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/17iht-17mund.13760031.html http://www.themodernword.com/borges/borges_papers_rollason2.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_We_May_Think Also visionaries that imagined elements of waht we call internet today were Paul Otlet (1934), Jorge Luis Borges (1941) and Vannevar Bush (1945).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/17iht-17mund.13760031.html
http://www.themodernword.com/borges/borges_papers_rollason2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_We_May_Think

]]> By: Allen Garvin http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071235 Allen Garvin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071235 "30 of 30" Well, except perhaps for #9, where the boss dictates letters to a remote secretary who types them up. “30 of 30″

Well, except perhaps for #9, where the boss dictates letters to a remote secretary who types them up.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070981 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070981 Well it wouldn't be a patent, it would be copyright, and you can't copyright an idea. Unless you mean that current patent holders that based their technology on his ideas are at risk of losing their patents; in which case that's still wrong, as a patent is granted via the discretion of the patent office. If they can't find a reference then it's not considered to be an accepted concept in the public domain. Either way there's no cause for patent concern. Well it wouldn’t be a patent, it would be copyright, and you can’t copyright an idea.

Unless you mean that current patent holders that based their technology on his ideas are at risk of losing their patents; in which case that’s still wrong, as a patent is granted via the discretion of the patent office. If they can’t find a reference then it’s not considered to be an accepted concept in the public domain.

Either way there’s no cause for patent concern.

]]> By: a nonny mouse http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070986 a nonny mouse Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070986 Yeah, what Mark Said, 30 for 30. Just wow. But he did miss a few items. -Dissemination of LOLcats. But really, who saw that coming in 1971? This document pre-dates American's Funniest Home videos by what, 15 years?...so maybe that extrapolation was harder to make. -Massive porn distribution. Maybe he saw this coming but decided to leave it out for the sake of propriety. -Internet Snark. But perhaps that is somehow implicit in all of this, just assumed that massive communications improvements will eventually lead to massive amounts of communicated snark. Yeah, what Mark Said, 30 for 30. Just wow. But he did miss a few items.

-Dissemination of LOLcats. But really, who saw that coming in 1971? This document pre-dates American’s Funniest Home videos by what, 15 years?…so maybe that extrapolation was harder to make.

-Massive porn distribution. Maybe he saw this coming but decided to leave it out for the sake of propriety.

-Internet Snark. But perhaps that is somehow implicit in all of this, just assumed that massive communications improvements will eventually lead to massive amounts of communicated snark.

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1070988 Mark Dow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1070988 Yes but full credit for not sketching all the kitsch like wrist phones and recipes for the wife. Beats the hell out of Toffler's "Future Shock" (1970). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock Yes but full credit for not sketching all the kitsch like wrist phones and recipes for the wife. Beats the hell out of Toffler’s “Future Shock” (1970).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock

]]> By: lasttide http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071006 lasttide Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071006 Could this be considered prior art or sufficient evidence of obviousness to bust a few thousand software patents? Could this be considered prior art or sufficient evidence of obviousness to bust a few thousand software patents?

]]> By: a nonny mouse http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071012 a nonny mouse Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071012 Okay, actually, number 6 totally covers porn. Silly me. Nonetheless... 31. AMUSEMENT. Sharing pictures of cats that have been anthropomorphized by the addition of humorous caption. Captions should use poor spelling. Okay, actually, number 6 totally covers porn. Silly me. Nonetheless…

31. AMUSEMENT. Sharing pictures of cats that have been anthropomorphized by the addition of humorous caption. Captions should use poor spelling.

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071017 Mark Dow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071017 His wording would have been "fascimiles of felines". His wording would have been “fascimiles of felines”.

]]> By: rks1157 http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071022 rks1157 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071022 Where's the porn? Where’s the porn?

]]> By: ManOutOfTime http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071032 ManOutOfTime Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071032 Too lazy to go back and read <i>Future Shock</i> -- and really don't expect Toffler has held up well, but that could be an unfair bias I've developed once I learned Newt Gingrich was an adherent. I can only imagine, though, that docs like this one -- if not this very doc -- were the sources on which he relied. I do recall the custom newspaper was in <i>Future Shock</i>, as it has been in every update of the vision of the connected/interactive lifestyle over the last 40+ years. Too lazy to go back and read Future Shock — and really don’t expect Toffler has held up well, but that could be an unfair bias I’ve developed once I learned Newt Gingrich was an adherent. I can only imagine, though, that docs like this one — if not this very doc — were the sources on which he relied. I do recall the custom newspaper was in Future Shock, as it has been in every update of the vision of the connected/interactive lifestyle over the last 40+ years.

]]> By: ManOutOfTime http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071035 ManOutOfTime Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071035 +1 +1

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1074619 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1074619 Dudes, Paul Baran was indeed a genius, but it was never "the military's arpanet" - true, Baran's design was intended to provide second-strike resilience but it was rejected by the Pentagon, and Bob Taylor diverted the initial seed funding for arpanet from a missile defence project but that's afaik the only military influence on the creation of the Internet until Milnet split off a decade later. Arpanet was conceived, designed and created with purely civilian rationale and purpose. Dudes, Paul Baran was indeed a genius, but it was never “the military’s arpanet” – true, Baran’s design was intended to provide second-strike resilience but it was rejected by the Pentagon, and Bob Taylor diverted the initial seed funding for arpanet from a missile defence project but that’s afaik the only military influence on the creation of the Internet until Milnet split off a decade later. Arpanet was conceived, designed and created with purely civilian rationale and purpose.

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071042 SamSam Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071042 Interesting oversite: no consideration of user-generated content. The user in this is always just a passive consumer of information. That shows one of the biggest changes between now and then. Back then, the idea that almost any and every kid with a camera (and no need for skill) would be making videos and posting them for the world to see, and that people would actually be watching these videos. I think it would have been hard to foretell the incredible lowering of the bar for creating and distributing. Interesting oversite: no consideration of user-generated content. The user in this is always just a passive consumer of information.

That shows one of the biggest changes between now and then. Back then, the idea that almost any and every kid with a camera (and no need for skill) would be making videos and posting them for the world to see, and that people would actually be watching these videos.

I think it would have been hard to foretell the incredible lowering of the bar for creating and distributing.

]]> By: a nonny mouse http://boingboing.net/2011/03/31/prophesies-of-the-in.html#comment-1071051 a nonny mouse Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1071051 You're so right! I wish I'd put that in there. You’re so right! I wish I’d put that in there.

]]>