"Will the emerging global information infrastructure (GII) create a revolution in communications equivalent to that wrought by Gutenberg, or will the result be simply the evolutionary adaptation of existing behavior and institutions to new media? Will the GII improve access to information for all? Will it replace libraries and publishers? How can computers and information systems be made easier to use?

What are the tradeoffs between tailoring information systems to user communities and standardizing them to interconnect with systems designed for other communities, cultures, and languages?" "This book takes a close look at these and other questions of technology, behavior, and policy surrounding the GII."--BOOK JACKET.