In a message dated Wed, 3 Oct 2001 9:39:49 PM Eastern
> Who, just a few decades ago, could conceive of a self-organizing global
> information system on the scale of today's Internet? The lack of any formal
> system to police it would have led nearly anyone to assume it would be too
> chaotic to become significant.
>
>For fun, look at some the "near future" SF from the 70s. I remember rereading some of
>Larry Niven's "Long Arm of the Law" stories. The protaganist would submit his
>questions to the "computer center" and they would give him an answer in a few days.
>The truly revolutionary stuff always sneaks up on us. It comes from out of left
>field. If it was right in front of us it would either be evolutionary or would not
>happen because the powers that be always try to maintain the status quo and impede
>"head on" revolutionary change.
