Abstract
The author problematizes the popular notion of “information society,” and demonstrates that the concept is vague and imprecise, even of dubious value. It may be, therefore, that a good deal of policy today is premised on somewhat shaky foundations. Five different definitions of an information society are presented, each of which presents criteria for identifying the new. These criteria are technological, economic, occupational, spatial, and cultural. The concepts of information and of theoretical knowledge are also addressed within the larger discussion.
