The Future Of The Internet

[FlipMode]

Probably not as argumentative as some other topics in this section, but here goes. What do you think is next, short term or long term for the internet?
What I mean by this, is - the internet is still a new technology, in the grand scheme of things. I mean think about the other devices that were developed before it, the camera, or the telephone for example. It was not until a boom 21 years ago that the concept of an actual internet as we know it had really took off. In fact, I myself was actually born on the day the WWW was launched initially (6th August 1991). I consider myself young at that age, and if as a human I can count myself young, surely something as grand as the internet is also young.

But going back to things like the telephone, which have gone through intense monopolization since they launched do you think the same thing is going to eventually happen to the internet? We already have clear evidence that the governments are trying to have a control of the internet to some degree. Because almost anything can be uploaded to the internet it has become an indispensable weapon and has itself began to go through monopolization. And when that happened to the telephone what happened? People began to look for alternatives (mobile phone networks, which ironically were also taken by power corporations) even when people resorted to talking over the internet instead, Skype and other such apps and sites are all part of a company and do in fact make them money.
And now it has gotten to a point where, no one even bothers any more.

Same can possibly be said for the other example I gave (the camera), which is even worse. Built originally for the simple pleasure of sustaining fond memories, it is now common practise that every device by advertised as having a camera. The latest smart phones boast "NEW 8MP CAMERA!" Mobile companies advertise the ability to take professional level photos with their phones. It is an example of a technology that has been ruined by companies who just want to make money from it.

So with those two examples in mind, what hope does something as massive as the internet have before it to is ruined by greedy companies and governments?
Do you think it will become a STANDARD for every device to have internet access? Even our TVs now are advertised as being able to connect to the internet. This privatisation of technology is exactly what makes us take other inventions of the past for granted, I really do wander how long the internet will survive before the same fate?

So, post your thoughts. If you like. And if you find it an interesting subject - I recommend hunting a copy of "The Master Switch" http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Master-Swit ... 0307269930
Which semi inspired this thread and post.

[Regulus]

I have no idea, honestly. I want to think that the internet will remain open, but I also know that not many things in the world are more powerful than corporate greed. But, I also know that the internet will be very hard to monopolize, just because of its structure. Even if the internet were to be regulated, there's always a way around.

Really, I wouldn't be surprised if we leave the current internet alone and instead start making a second one, which would be much more controlled. Less anonymity, but more security.

Either way, it's something that I think, in 100 years from now, will have completely changed humanity. It's too young for us to understand how it has affected us yet, but it's definitely creating a new era. The age of information. It's the first step to uniting humanity into a single culture, allowing us to expand our horizons, as a whole, with far greater ease. It's something that seems like it would only exist in science fiction, but here we are, having a discussion, in nearly real-time, about the internet on a website dedicated to The Lion King, while we're thousands of miles apart.

[Tabby]

INTERNET WAR.