The Future of the Internet

Your Immediate Future and the Internet

• Job Searches: monster.com, daily newspapers, potential employers

• New browsers (Firefox) and methods of accessing internet (cell phone)

The Near Future of the Internet

• Increased bandwidth

• More Cable Modems and DSL connections

• Fewer telephone/modem connections

• More video/animation/sound

What will the future look like?

• What will this do for design?

• What will be the languages/software used?

• Opportunities for software companies?

•  More or less accessible to non-professionals?

• Effectiveness of static websites?

• Will there be “two webs”?

Websites Combine all Media

• Video and Animation and Text. • Skills become more specialized.• All-purpose web designers less common.• But, convergence opens up entertainment industry:

more jobs and cheaper to produce visual entertainment.

• More forms of entertainment and e-commerce are possible. (May be more interactive.)

• Internet ratings

Convergence

• Combine:

internet/the web

telephone

television

radio

print

Think digital cable companies now.

“What’s Wrong with the PC?”

• Do we need a large clunky desktop or laptop computer?

• Can we have appliances to do what we need? …including web access (through cell phones, etc.) …e-mail. …photo printers.

•  Appliances both support and reject idea of Convergence.

•  Which do you prefer?

Cable Television Forging Ahead

• DVR

• OnDemand services

• Alter advertising model

The End of Wires

Wireless technology eliminates phones, cables, etc.

Cable television reverts back to broadcast with decoders?

No phone wires?

Developing countries

Everything Gets Bigger

“Screens” are larger • Flat screen television • Wall televisions

“Screens” are everywhere • Every room of the house • Waiting rooms • Stores • Cars

Everything Gets Smaller

• PDAs

• Watches

• Clothes

• Glasses

• Small projector

Web/Internet Interfaces

• Pen• Voice• Finger• Projection/Touchscreen “sensor”• Eye• Biofeedback possibilities• “Talk to your television”

“The Invisible Computer”

• Intelligent Agents

• Refrigerator/Supermarket• Supply Cabinet/Supply Company• Track kids and older folks• Clothes/Hospital & Doctor

• Active Messenger (MIT): sends message to any number of sources, depending on where owner might be. Analyzes importance of message.

Internet Communication

• Text messages through cell phones now.• Faxes can get converted to e-mails now. • Voice messages replace e-mail or complement it. • What are advantages of each?• Cell phones replaced by something smaller: all

voice controlled? Or more of a reliance on text messaging: requires literate society.

Cultural and Political Changes I

• Picture phones.Form of communication. Stay in hand

• Howard Dean

Cultural and Political Changes II

• Short Message Service (SMS) messaging.

• In some countries, cheaper than phone service. Cell phones much more common than PCs.

• Philippines: 2001. President Estrada lost power to “smart mob” and text messaging

Cultural and Political Changes III

• Seattle: 1999. World Trade Organization protests.

• Toronto: 2000. Violent protest webcast.

• South Korea: 2002. Presidential election.

Digital Lifestyle I:Entertainment on the Internet

• Watch shows and films

• Participate in plays (avatars)

• Multiplayer games exist now

• Play games/shows. Will others watch?

• Chats: what would happen if they became more real? (not text or avatar based)

Digital Lifestyle II: E-Commerce

• More products will be sold on the web.• “Bit” products may be downloaded.• Newer generations will be more

comfortable with the internet/web.• What products can’t/won’t be sold entirely

on the web? Why?• Retail clerks are one of the largest work

forces in country.

Digital Lifestyle III

• Internet Dating (all purpose or based on religion, college)

• Virtual work

• E-learning

• Friendster http://www.friendster.com

Problems with the Digital Lifestyle

“Internet to Information Superhighway”

• With broadband, more mainstream content

• People will demand more lively, more active sites.

• Less education/non-profit sites

Possible Negative Changes

• Flat fee vs. pay-per-use• Privacy issues (Google)• Information vs. Entertainment• Mass audience (videos and Blockbuster) …or is it really a unique medium? Think BLOGS.

• Culture devalued (art, music, books) from “information overload.”

Security Issues

• Individuals recorded in public places.• Too much information created.• Able to track one particular person.• GPS systems (employees/kids/older folks)• Rheingold’s: “Always on Panopticon”

(all-seeing place: formerly schools, prisions, mental institutions)

Backlash against the Internet

• More face-to-face clubs community theater, bowling

•  More family and friend nights: “turn off box”

• Or it all becomes merged.Increases communication and more voice and face to face contact emerges.

Finding new friends at the airport.

More informationbecomes a part of life.

Enjoy the web.Thanks for listening. See you at the final.