This video clip from 1969 predicting a future of electronic shopping, online bill paying, instant communications and the like is rather fascinating:
It’s apparently from some longer documentary film, although I can’t nail down more specific details. (Or, perhaps more accurately, I’m not curious enough to devote the time.) It’s been making the YouTube rounds for several months and both Jason Kotte and Andrew Sullivan have linked it this week, so I apologize if you’ve already seen it.
Aside from the obvious sexism, about which everyone seems oddly surprised, the whole thing has a certain Darma Initiative creepiness.
And, yes, as Zee observes, “there’s no mention of pop up windows, spam, pornography and hackers.” For whatever reason, rather obvious negative consequences seldom seem to be forecast.
