Hunter’s writing recognized

An article written by Lawrence Hunter, professor and director of the Computational Bioscience Program at the School of Medicine, that warns about the tremendous quantity of information the average person shares online, recently was cited by the Smithsonian magazine’s Paleofuture blog.

What’s unusual about the article is that it was written by Hunter in 1985 for the “Whole Earth Review” when he was a graduate student studying artificial intelligence at Yale University.

“The ubiquity and power of the computer blur the distinction between public and private information. Our revolution will not be in gathering data — don’t look for TV cameras in your bedroom — but in analyzing information that is already willingly shared,” wrote Hunter.

According to the blog, “It’s unlikely Mr. Hunter could have any more accurately predicted the Age of Facebook — or its most pervasive fears.”  To read the blog and more about Hunter’s prognostications, visit http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/05/predictions-for-privacy-in-the-age-of-facebook-from-1985/