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∂AIL Professor Glen Campbell↓Hoover Institution∞
Dear Professor Campbell:

	I was sorry to hear that you had resigned from the Science
Advisory Committee, because you were the member most likely to
be responsive to the considerations I want to advance.

	The enclosed paper given at the 1976 meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) discusses the
technical and social impact of home computer terminals.  The
article is perhaps more technical than is required for a discussion
of the policy issues, although the technical part may be required
to demonstrate that the technology is ripe.

	The policy issues arise from the fact that home computer
terminals are capable of revolutionizing the mail system and
the publishing industry.  The pending revolution in publishing
is the more significant, because it will eliminate the publisher
as a necessary intermediary between a writer or journalist and
his public.

	The regulatory problem is that would-be policy makers
see only parts of the problem, e.g. the problem of electronic
mail and the problem of data communication, and are inclined
to create monopolies covering a part of the applications that
may preclude anyone offering the full range of possible services.

	My opinion is that the present regulatory situation,
while not optimal, will not prevent the new services from
being realized, but almost all the current proposals for
new regulation or government facilitation are harmful.
This is because the new services are not natural monopolies,
so that manufacturers offering products and service bureaus
offering services can meet the needs.

	Can you advise me on how to make these points or even
help?

.sgn

P.S. Incidentally, much of the technology mentioned in the
article is in use in our and other laboratories and can
be demonstrated to anyone interested, and I have heard that
some people in the Hoover Institution want to apply some of
them, although I believe they don't realize the full
possiblities.