On-line services function simultaneously as common carriers and publishers, which is where the problem lies. When they act as publishers, and offer content they have acquired, authored, or edited, it makes sense that the rules of libel and the self-governing incentive of editorial reputation would apply. But we also expect them to deliver our e-mail like a common carrier without examining or taking responsibility for its contents. Likewise, chat lines, bulletin boards, and forums that encourage users to interact without editorial supervision are a new means of communication, and shouldn’t be treated the same way as material published on the service. A New York judge, however, recently cleared the way for a libel lawsuit by ruling that the on-line service involved was a publisher of information, not just a distributor. Perhaps by the time you read this things will have been clarified. The stakes in the resolution of this issue are high. If network providers are treated entirely as publishers, they will have to monitor and preapprove the content of all information they transmit. This could create an unwelcome atmosphere of censorship and curtail spontaneous exchange, so important in the electronic world.
Ideally, the industry will develop some standards so that when you go into a bulletin board or article, you get an indication of whether or not some “publisher” has looked it over, edited it, and stands behind its content. The question will be what standards and who will oversee them? A bulletin board for lesbians should not be forced to accept antilesbian comments, nor should a bulletin board about some product be overwhelmed by messages from a competitor. It would be a shame to have to keep children away from all bulletin boards, but it would also be unrealistic, and possibly an abridgment of free expression, to force all bulletin boards to undergo review by someone willing to accept liability for everything they contain. What we will most likely end up with is a series of categories, like the ratings given movies, that will indicate whether shrill voices have been controlled and whether an “editor” has deleted messages he thought were out of line with the policies of the group involved.
The bulletin boards I’ve been discussing are the free, public ones, but there will also be places where professional information and advice will be offered for a fee. You might wonder why you would need an expert when so much information will be available. For the same reasons you might need one now. All sorts of consumer data can be had now. Consumer Reports offers objective evaluations of a lot of products, but the reviews are aimed at a broad audience—they don’t necessarily discuss your particular requirements. If you can’t find exactly the advice you need on the highway, you will be able to hire a knowledgeable sales consultant, for five minutes or an afternoon, via videoconference. She will help you choose products, which your computer will then buy for you from the cheapest reliable source.
I expect the traditional binding together of advice and sales to be much less prevalent, because although the advice appears free to the customer, it is paid for by the stores and services that offer it. This cost then gets added on to the price of the goods. Stores that are charging more because they offer advice will have increasing difficulty competing with the discounters who will operate on the information highway. There will continue to be some modest price variations in products from one outlet to another. These will reflect differences in return policies, delivery times, and whatever limited customer assistance is available.
Some merchants will offer “consultants” as part of the sales price, but for important purchases you are likely to welcome a truly independent guide. The cost of the consultation will be offset to an extent by the lower price you’ll end up paying at the outlet the consultant will guide you to. The prices consultants charge will also be very competitive. Suppose you use a service on the highway to obtain information about where to buy an expensive car at the best price, and then you buy it. The price for using the service—which has acted as the middleman in the transaction—might be charged at a low hourly rate, or it could be a small percentage of the purchase price. It will depend on the uniqueness of the service. Electronic competition will determine the fee.
Over time, more advice will be offered by software applications that have been programmed to analyze your requirements and make appropriate suggestions. A number of large banks have already developed “expert” computer systems to analyze routine loan and credit applications, with great success. As software agents become common, and voice-simulation-and-recognition software improves, it will begin to feel as though you’re talking to a real person when you consult a multi-media document with a personality. You’ll be able to interrupt, request more detail, or ask to have an explanation repeated. The experience will be like chatting with a personable expert. Eventually it won’t matter much whether you are talking to a human being or a very good simulation, as long as you get the answers you need to make an appropriate purchase.
A step toward the discount electronic commerce of the highway is today’s home-shopping television networks. In 1994 they sold nearly $3 billion worth of goods despite the fact that they are synchronous, which means you may have to sit through pitches for countless other items until they offer one you’re interested in. On the information highway you’ll be able to amble globally at your own pace among goods and services. If you’re looking for sweaters, you’ll choose a basic style and see as many variations as you like, in every price range. Perhaps you’ll watch a fashion show or a product demonstration. Interactivity will marry convenience with entertainment.
Today, branded products often appear in feature films and television programs. A character who once would have ordered a beer now asks for a Budweiser. In the 1993 movie Demolition Man, Taco Bell restaurants seem to be the only fast-food survivors. Taco Bell’s corporate parent, PepsiCo, paid for the privilege. Microsoft paid a fee to have Arnold Schwarzenegger discover the Arabic version of Windows running on a computer screen during True Lies. In the future, companies may pay not only to have their products on-screen, but also to make them available for you to buy. You will have the option of inquiring about any image you see. This will be another choice the highway will make available unobtrusively. If you are watching the movie Top Gun and think Tom Cruise’s aviator sunglasses look really cool, you’ll be able to pause the movie and learn about the glasses or even buy them on the spot—if the film has been tagged with commercial information. Or you could mark the scene and return to it later. If a movie has a scene filmed in a resort hotel, you’ll be able to find out where it’s located, check room rates, and make reservations. If the movie’s star carries a handsome leather briefcase or handbag, the highway will let you browse the manufacturer’s entire line of leather goods and either order one or be directed to a convenient retailer.
Because the information highway will carry video, you’ll often be able to see exactly what you’ve ordered. This will help prevent the sort of mistake my grandmother once made. I was at summer camp and she ordered lemon drops to be sent to me. She ordered one hundred, thinking I would get one hundred pieces of candy. Instead I got one hundred bags. I gave them out to everyone and was especially popular until we all began to have canker sores. On the highway you will be able to take a video tour of that hotel before you make your reservation. You won’t have to wonder whether the flowers you ordered for your mother by telephone really were as stunning as you’d hoped. You’ll be able to watch the florist arrange the bouquet, change your mind if you want, and replace wilting roses with fresh anemones. When you’re shopping for clothing, it will be displayed in your size. In fact, you’ll be able to see it paired with other items you have purchased or are considering.