The Classics

• Harold Innis
  Innis was a Canadian theorist of techno-media, and served as a mentor for McLuhan.
• Marshall McLuhan (disciple of Harold Innis). See Project McLuhan
  McLuhan is the "patron saint" of Wired magazine and is considered a prophet of the electronic generation. Author of Understanding Media
  instant quote from the McLuhan.
• Lewis Mumford
  Mumford was a historian of technology, author of Technics of Civilization
  More on Mumford
• Buckminister Fuller
  Fuller is credited with inventing the geodesic dome. Prophet of architecture and technology.
• Norbert Weiner
  Weiner was considered a child genius; developed into a prominent mathematician at MIT; addressed relationship between humans and machines; invented term cybernetics.
• Jacques Ellul
  Ellul is critical of technology, argues that it dehumanizes individuals and society. A French Marxist.
• Arthur C. Clarke
  Clarke developed the basic theory of communications satelites, published in 1945.
  A speech by Clarke that can be played over the Web

Recent Futurists and TechnoEnthusiasts

• Alvin Toffler
  Toffler and his wife are both noted authors on technology, believes we are in a post-industrial phase of techno-civilization.
  See Wired Interview
• George Gilder.
  Gilder is a techno-enthusiast with political ties.
  See Telecosm, and Wired's first and second interviews with Gilder.
• Nicholas Negroponte.
  Negroponte is a co-founder of MIT's Media Lab, part owner of Wired magazine.
  See his book Being Digital and his columns in Wired.
• Marvin Minsky
  Minsky is an MIT professor considered to be the father of artificial intelligence.
• Howard Rheingold
  Rheingold is author of The Virtual Community, and overall promoter of cyberculture.
• John Perry Barlow
  Barlow is a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
• Bill Gates
  Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft, and is currently the richest person on the planet. Has recently authored a book, The Road Ahead.
• Stuart Brand
  Brand is a co-founder of the WELL, the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, a Bay Area network of computer users.
• Steve Jobs
  Jobs is a co-founder of Apple Computers, credited with developing the Macintosh.
• Esther Dyson
  Dyson is president of EDventure Holdings, a worldwide information technology company. She is also vice-president of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
  Electronic Frontier Foundation archive about Dyson
• Neil Postman
  Postman is a media futurist and professor at NYU.
  See Neil Postman Links
  Link to page at NYU that describes program Postman chairs
• Seymour Papert
  Papert is a founding member of the MIT Media Laboratory and the LEGO Professor of Learning Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Robert Lucky
  Lucky is vice-president of applied research at Bellcore, the research branch of the Bell operating companies.
• Clifford Stoll
  Stoll is an author, including his most recent book, Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. His previous works have examined issues raised by computer hackers.
  See an interview with Stoll.

Critics, Cassandras, and Prophets of Doom

• Langdon Winner
  Winner is a professor in the Department of Science & Technology studies at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, concentrating on the social and political issues generated by modern technological change.
• William Gibson
  Gibson is the author of Neuromancer, which coined the term "cyberspace".
• Sherry Turkle
  Turkle is a Professor of Sociology at MIT who examines personas people assume when they are online.
• Stephen Talbott
  Talbott is the author of The Future Does Not Compute - classic dystopic book about the interfaces and the net
  note: this page is maintained by the Talbott's publishing company, it is very simple
• Bruce Sterling
  Sterling is a cyber journalist and author of The Hacker Crackdown. He is associated with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)

Artist Seers and Techno-Designers

• Don Norman
  Norman is an Apple Fellow at Apple Computers
  Don Norman interview excerpt
• Brenda Laurel
  Laurel is a performance artist who experiments with virtual reality. Considered an authority on human-computer interaction and interface design.
• Jaron Lanier
  Lanier is generally credited as the inventor of virtual reality.
• Walter Bender
  Bender is a News of the Future guru at MIT's Media Lab, also the leader of an interactive newspaper project.
• William Mitchell
  Mitchell is the dean of the school of architecture at MIT. He is the author of City of Bits.

This page last updated 11 December, 1996.