File spoon-archives/seminar-13.archive/postco-virtuality_1997/97-04-23.111, message 31


From: abramsob-AT-ERE.UMontreal.CA (Abramson Bram Dov)
Subject: Re: Minitel, France, francophonie
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 13:49:27 -0500 (EST)


> I have no claim to any chronology, Don; I only assumed from the tone of Nora's
> book that the project of computerization he was proposing was still to be done.
Most accounts of the impacts of the Nora-Minc report -- that I have seen, 
anyway -- locate its significance as a kind of 'forecast' document; an 
important conceptual contribution was the coining of the term 
'telematique' to refer to the convergence of telecommunications and 
informatique (roughly, computers).  

> I wonder if the Minitel project foundered because it did start so early in the
> digital revolution but failed to keep up with the constant revolutions in
> technology -- expensive propositions for any government venture. (Some of the
> most outdated desktop technology in this country is on the desks of government
> employees.)

I must admit, I'm a bit confused/skeptical -- my understanding was that 
Minitel had been a relative success, as such technologies go; use of it 
remains widespread in France (or at least seemed to be when I was there 
last summer), and certainly minitel 'addresses'/numbers are attached to 
ad copy, etc., on a much more routine basis than WWW urls are affixed to 
advertising and other corporate speech here in North America.  For 
whatever that's worth.

there is widespread agreement, I think, that Minitel may have hindered 
internet implantation in France because, well, they already have Minitel; 
and of course, you're correct in saying that technologically, Minitel is 
no great shakes, anymore.  But as an example of the widespread 
diffusion/adoption of 'telematique', it is certainly an excellent example 
& case study... Incidentally, there are a number of articles written on 
exactly that, whose references I could probably dig up if anyone is 
interested.  (instead of talking through my hat about something I don't 
know much about, really ... !)

Bram Abramson  <abramsob-AT-ere.umontreal.ca>
Laboratoire de recherche sur les politiques de communication
Departement de communication
Universite de Montreal


   

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