Electronic roads in the information society: social, educational and technological aspects

Abstract

In this paper we present the major technological challenges to the formation of the Information Society and the ways in which social and pedagogical restrictions can serve to influence the outcome of those challenges from the design phase. We define the notion of electronic information roads and explore the form which these roads can take. Electronic roads can serve to define a new type of social group based on inherently different relationships centered around intellectual and other interests rather than the proximity of physical contact and direct communication. The implementation of electronic roads will require advancements in digital libraries, advanced networks and distributed systems programming.