Grover Ponders

The Internet has changed the world. There are people who MUST have Internet access every day. There are businesses that would not exist without it. News and information is disseminated faster over the net than ove traditional channels like Television or Newspapers. People increasingly use the Internet to communicate with friends and family, do their jobs, shop, or even learn.

But the Internet is still young. The impact of a ubiquitous infrastructure like the Internet are just starting to be understood. We are starting to see hints of the larger changes the Internet is making to our world.

In the past the Internet was a simple method of connecting remote locations to form a geographically disperse network. Today the Internet has become an infrastructure much like the roadways and water pipes. The public increasingly expect the Internet to be in place but do not really care about the details needed to make it happen. Large blocks of the worlds population already rely on the fact that the Internet will be accessible. This will only grow over time as the world's population increases, and new areas gain stable connections to the net.

A connection to the Internet brings with it many advantages. The knowledge base of the world becomes available. World and local news is easily found. Awareness of the world around us improves. Business opportunities are easier to be found. And the list goes on. But the Internet is truly neutral. It brings along the bad as well as the good. Hate sites can be found. Censorship is happening at multiple levels. Privacy and personal details are an afterthought - if not a commodity to be marketed. Yet the Internet continues to grow.

The Internet has brought about a level of transparency the world has never seen before. Wikileaks and the now defunct "FuckedCompany" website provide a method for people to blow the whistle on bad business and government. These kinds of sites are out on the fringes, but seem to be cropping up more often. YouTube is being used in this manner as well in some cases. Some businesses have traditionally thrived by way of politics, financial contributions, or other bending of the rules. These same businesses are finding it much harder to continue in this way. The Internet has made it possible for the public to clearly see what is going on and shine a large spotlight of interest on what used to be a non-public process. The recent case with the way OOXML was approved illustrates this. The world has seen the manipulations made to the process. The world has shed light on questionable decisions and ethics. And the world is upset enough that the parties involved are struggling to put the best light on the situation, even though the facts suggest otherwise. And the world is learning to ignore "spin control" and get the facts.

The Internet is bringing together friends and families like never before. Anyone who has a Facebook account knows this explicitly. Looking for that long lost high school friend? Your childhood sweetheart? That third cousin on your mother's aunt's son's side of the family? Yep, they can almost all be found via Facebook or other Internet applications. We are becoming "connected" in a way that "connected" was never envisioned.

A quick glance at any industry news can give an edge to those working in that industry. Keeping abreast of the changes to an industry has never been easier. Reading the currents of the industry and positioning yourself to benefit from upcoming changes is now a simple case of starting with the news.

Governments both love and dread the Internet. On one hand, it allows much more efficient dissemination of the volumes of information governments deal with. It allows easier interaction with the people the governments are supposed to represent. On the other hand, the improved transparency mentioned above often shows a government's favoritism, bias, or outright corruption. This brings about censorship - after all we can't have the "sheeple" knowning too much now can we? Only WE can tell them what they want.

Looking forward, we have an increasingly connected population of people. These people will have access to more information than ever before. They will have the ability to call a spade a spade when dealing with marketing spin and PR. They will have the ability to connect to others who share common interests, more so than ever. These common interest groups will become a hindrance to the traditional way business and government has been run. Big money will loose out if they fail to understand the new and educated population. The old business models are dead and must adapt to the new reality.

But what does all that mean?

This is where the speculation enters the picture. All the above has been covered by the media to the n'th degree. But looking ahead is a shot in the dark. We have in our possession now, the hints of what is to come.

The Internet is truly neutral. It is a double edged sword. It can lead to a more fair system of checks and balances. It can lead to a radical shift in thinking where what is best for society and the world take precedence over how much money can be made. It can lead to a world where what country/state/province/district you live in is irrelevant and we have a truly global nation. Or it can lead to totalitarian governments where the people only see what they are allowed to see. Where information flow is very tightly controlled. Taken to the extreme this could lead to a systematic dismantling of the Internet. But the Internet is only a single factor out of many that will form the future.

Looking at the historical ages, it is notable that each distinct age brought along with it more power to the people. The Renaissance spelled the end of monarchies and serfdom. The industrial revolution meant more production power to the individual, and helped lead to the demise of slavery. We are seeing another exponential leap in the power of the individual now. But it's effects are hard to judge while in the midst of such a change. A few hundred years from now, perhaps our ancestors will look on the early 2000's as a significant change on par with the Renaissance and industrial revolution.

A blend of corporate governments seem to be the future. Some businesses or industries are large enough to dictate government policy. This will only grow as the changing face of the world grows more prosperous. A balance will be found to merge the ideas of personal freedoms and liberties with the idea of profit and efficiency.

Have faith in humanity. The utter extremes of totalitarianism and personal freedoms will be seen. Plot a path between those two extremes, with regards to technology and social changes, and you have an idea of what we will see in the future.