ABSTRACT
While we all know that technical change is part and parcel of ongoing social and economic changes, technology often appears as an autonomous force. Indeed, one of the striking things about technological futures is that they often appear in the imperative mode. That is, once defined as promise, action is required. Statements about future technological performance are not received as factual descriptions to be verified or falsified in due course. Instead, they mobilise attention, guide efforts and legitimate actions. Technological futures, are then forceful and render technological developments a specific dynamic (Van Lente, 1993).
