The Pew Research Center asked a set of professors, businessmen, and readers of "technology-oriented listservs" to imagine the Internet of 2025. (Source in PDF and HTML.)
Some respondents speculated that there would be amplification of known trends: "ambient" networks (sensors, cameras, phones/tracking devices) that are increasingly integrated into work and social life, ongoing disruption of traditional "content" industries, and the continued growth of analytics/surveillance ("tagging, databasing, and intelligent analytical mapping of the physical and social realms.") Of course, networks "accurately predict[ing] our interests and weaknesses" implies the loss of personal privacy, first to governments and corporations, but eventually to any interested party or social engineer.
Others predicted decentralization and fragmentation self-forming mesh networks, darknets, and proliferating incompatible national/corporate algorithms. Your freedom would be circumscribed by the ideology of your network's owner.
I put the question to you, O People of Soylent. What futures do you foresee? What trends or pathologies does the Pew report minimize or neglect? How can or should *we* influence the Internet's direction in the next decade?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by shortscreen on Sunday April 13 2014, @02:04PM
In 2025, my internet connection will cost $200/mo for 20Mb/S. Either that, or it will only cost $100/mo but have a cap of 25GB. Eastwood will still send me a blank email everyday because I bought a can of paint from them 14 years ago. Watching The Daily Show online will take at least an 8-core CPU. Gamers will be bugging the power company to upgrade their 200amp service to 400amps so they can run the highest settings on Crysis 5.
On the plus side, there will be millions upon millions of nudie pics.
(Score: 1) by computersareevil on Wednesday April 16 2014, @04:49PM
> On the plus side, there will be millions upon millions of nudie pics.
So the anti-pr0n forces will have successfully reduced it from the billions upon billions we have now?