The Internet is a Fad!

clifford stollIn 1995 astronomer Clifford Stoll boldly predicted in Newsweek magazine that the Internet would be a passing fad. He titled his article, “The Internet? Bah!”

In a Minnesota Public Radio interview he said, “I expect the value of the Internet for communications in general isn’t very high. . . . I think it’s grossly oversold and within two or three years people will shrug and say, ‘Uh yep, it was a fad of the early 90s. . . .’ simply because there’s so little of value there.”

It seems he was wrong. (And Newsweek went out of print.)

In a TED talk in 2006 he ate humble pie and said, “If you really want to know about the future, don’t ask a technologist, as scientist, a physicist. . . . No, if you want to to know what society’s going to be like in twenty years, ask a kindergarten teacher.”

How many times have you made a prediction that turned out wrong?

As a believer I also think about how many times I have thought God would do or not do something–and been wrong. I think I’ll stay off the planning committee and on the serving committee. I’ll just be ready for what comes.

I suspect that even kindergarten teachers might feel the same way.


Photo credit: GreatThoughtsTreasury.com