ABSTRACT
These three properties provide communicative opportunities that have never existed before in the history of mankind. Not surprisingly, advocates of the information society are enthusiastically drawing a picture of a Utopian digital future which for the first time could mean the end of inequalities and imbalances in social life, and of unequal opportunity for economic, political and social participation. Literature in this tradition contains an impressive collection of ideas, concepts, dreams and visions, along with some useful information. In most cases, however, such books consist of questionable forecasts and normative descriptions of how the world would or should look, if developments take the direction the authors favour. However, as long as the story of the future is presented in the light of what is technically possible, or might be possible the next time around, it will never be an adequate representation of events to come.
