Resumen
ACM97: The Next 50 Years of Computing incorporated a professional conference where 1,800 attendees gathered to listen to key technologists share their visions of the future, with a spirited, interactive exposition spotlighting some of the most outstanding projects on tap for future generations. The conference held on March 3-5 in the San Jose Convention Center, was mounted as a series of plenary sessions where every speaker was a keynoter. The 16 featured commentators represented some of the most eloquent and accomplished pioneers in their respective fields. In the conference audience were asked a series of questions regarding their opinions on the uses and cultural impact of computers by the year 2047. Many of the same questions were asked each of the three days of the conference to get an idea how audience attitudes were influenced by the insightful comments of the featured speakers. Some of the questions asked by the audience were: Will virtual reality eliminate all other forms of entertainment? Will computers be used to keep people under surveillance? Will the majority of people telecommunicate? Several such questions along with the audience response are presented in the article.