The future of the Internet

Can you remember a world without the internet? I remember I was in the 6th grade and every morning we watched Channel 1, a news program aimed at youth. It was amazing. It starred a young Lisa Ling and Anderson Cooper. (I suddenly feel my age). One day on our morning news an even younger Anna Paquin (around the time she became the second youngest Oscar winner in history for her best supporting actress in The Piano) came on screen and with her quirky New England accent told a room full of mesmerized children about "The Information Super Highway".

It was really hard to imagine as a sleepy 11 year old. I had an Apple at home but it didn't talk to anything or anyone. I had a drawing program and a few games and I thought that was pretty spectacular. Now it was being proposed that everything I ever wanted to know would soon be at my fingertips. It was hard to comprehend.

The first thing I utilized was email. I could write to out of town family members quickly. It was great. While away from my mother I felt a little less home sick. Then I discovered gaming, and forums, and chat rooms. The internet was far more than I ever couldn't image.

Right now we see the internet as a place. We go there for information, or entertainment. But that's all going to change as the web becomes more integrated into our lives. It will be apart of every thing we currently take for granted: opening doors, preparing our dinner, and even driving to work.

Think of the internet as one giant algorithm that recognizes patterns in our lives and adjusts accordingly. You can already see traces of this in the advertising that pops up when your on line. While not a perfect science, it is often fairly accurate. Now imagine that on a larger scale. For example: (and I'm completely making this up so I hope I get royalties!) we may be able to pay for everything via our smartphones. So you go to the grocery store and all you have to do is link your phone to the payment console. Now image that yourphone keeps track of everything you buy EVERYWHERE and generates the appropriate coupons and discounts automatically. you don't have to clip and hunt anymore. The pattern recognition that you buy a LOT of coconut milk automatically gives the best deal. Now that's convenience.