[2162] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Are We to Buy Speed for a Few or Connectivity for Many?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David J. Farber)
Tue Jan 28 20:42:58 1992
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 92 20:40:08 EST
From: farber@central.cis.upenn.edu (David J. Farber)
To: cook@tmn.com (Gordon Cook)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> Received-Date: Tue, 28 Jan 92 20:02:25 EST
> Posted-Date: 25 Jan 92 15:32:53 EST (Sat)
> To: com-priv@psi.com
> Subject: Are We to Buy Speed for a Few or Connectivity for Many?
> Date: 25 Jan 92 15:32:53 EST (Sat)
> From: cook@tmn.com (Gordon Cook)
>
>
> While Robert Lucky didn't use the specific word hype in his
address to the
> Gigabit symposium in DC last July 16th..... his message was clear:
who
> needs gigabits? No one.
And who needs more than four IBM 704s and who needs a machine that
can copy documents and who needs a computer in the home and who needs
a pocket size tape player and etc etc etc. Will we never learn that
projecting current ideas and ways into new technology is HARD.
Step right up and you too can join the ranks of the illustrious folks
who said the above in their times.
I also debate strongly whether "telecom's ability
to help K-12 may be hindered by creating the popular
mis-impression that if you can't get gigabits to the
classroom, it somehow just isn't worth it." No one is
saying this. Bits to the classroom is in another pot
from research on the future products and jobs for this nation.
Anyone out there really believe that the peace savings will go to
create better education? I wish it were so but. I also debate
whether just bringing bits to the classroom will help our serious
education problems or will it creat yet another administrative tower
with the teachers and students getting next to nothing out of it all.
Dave
