/LMAR=0/XLINE=3/FONT#0=BASL30/FONT#1=BASI30/FONT#2=BASB30/FONT#3=STA200/FONT#4=NGB25
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305
␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	pJanuary 17, 1977




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor Glen Campbell
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Hoover Institution

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Professor Campbell:

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

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

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α∃policy␈α∃issues␈α∀arise␈α∃from␈α∃the␈α∀fact␈α∃that␈α∃home␈α∀computer␈α∃terminals␈α∃are␈α∃capable␈α∀of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓revolutionizing␈α⊗the␈α⊗mail␈α⊗system␈α⊗and␈α⊗the␈α⊗publishing␈α⊗industry.␈α⊗ The␈α⊗pending␈α⊗revolution␈α∃in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓publishing␈α⊗is␈α⊗the␈α⊗more␈α∃signi≡cant,␈α⊗because␈α⊗it␈α⊗will␈α∃eliminate␈α⊗the␈α⊗publisher␈α⊗as␈α⊗a␈α∃necessary
␈↓ ↓H␈↓intermediary between a writer or journalist and his public.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α
regulatory␈α
problem␈α
is␈α
that␈α
would-be␈α
policy␈α
makers␈α
see␈α
only␈α
parts␈α
of␈α
the␈α∞problem,␈α
e.g.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈αproblem␈αof␈αelectronic␈αmail␈αand␈αthe␈αproblem␈αof␈αdata␈αcommunication,␈αand␈αare␈αinclined␈αto␈αcreate
␈↓ ↓H␈↓monopolies␈α
covering␈α
a␈α
part␈αof␈α
the␈α
applications␈α
that␈α
may␈αpreclude␈α
anyone␈α
o≥ering␈α
the␈α
full␈αrange␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓possible services.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        My␈αopinion␈αis␈αthat␈αthe␈αpresent␈α
regulatory␈αsituation,␈αwhile␈αnot␈αoptimal,␈αwill␈αnot␈α
prevent␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓new␈α⊃services␈α⊃from␈α⊃being␈α⊃realized,␈α⊃but␈α⊃almost␈α⊃all␈α⊃the␈α⊃current␈α⊃proposals␈α⊃for␈α⊃new␈α⊃regulation␈α⊂or
␈↓ ↓H␈↓government␈αfacilitation␈α
are␈αharmful.␈α
 This␈αis␈α
because␈αthe␈α
new␈αservices␈α
are␈αnot␈αnatural␈α
monopolies,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓so that manufacturers o≥ering products and service bureaus o≥ering services can meet the needs.

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


␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,



␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science

␈↓ ↓H␈↓P.S.␈α⊂Incidentally,␈α⊂much␈α∂of␈α⊂the␈α⊂technology␈α∂mentioned␈α⊂in␈α⊂the␈α∂article␈α⊂is␈α⊂in␈α∂use␈α⊂in␈α⊂our␈α⊂and␈α∂other
␈↓ ↓H␈↓laboratories␈αand␈αcan␈αbe␈αdemonstrated␈αto␈αanyone␈αinterested,␈αand␈αI␈αhave␈αheard␈αthat␈αsome␈αpeople␈αin
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈αHoover␈αInstitution␈αwant␈αto␈αapply␈αsome␈αof␈αthem,␈αalthough␈αI␈αbelieve␈αthey␈αdon't␈αrealize␈α
the␈αfull
␈↓ ↓H␈↓possiblities.