The Future's Not Ours to See, Or Is It?

The folks at the Pew Internet and American Life project, with help from Janna Quitney Anderson, Elon University, have examined what the Internet might look like in the future. In this December 14, 2008 report, the authors outline the results from a survey of more than 1,000 Internet specialists, critics, and analysts. Based on the responses, the following picture of what the Internet might look like in 2020 emerged:

• Mobile phones will be the way we connect to the Internet.
• Social tolerance will not grow as a result of the Web 2.0; in fact, these technologies may expand hate, bigotry, and intolerance.
• There will be advanced touch, talk, and typing options. A "thought-based" interface may be on the horizon too.
  
• IP law and copyright issues will remain problematic.
• There will be no distinction between personal and professional time.
• It is unlikely that a "next-gen" Internet system will be developed.
• Will more transparency make the world a better place? The results are mixed.
• More than half of the respondents think that virtual worlds will impact a large number of individuals, which means that a little less than half disagree. However, the consensus among the respondents is that virtual and augmented reality user interfaces will have to become more intuitive for there to be wide-spread adoption of these technologies.

In addition to these nuggets, the report also includes a series of quotes from respondents such as Howard Rheingold, Steve Jones, and Victoria Nash.