The heading ‘Prepare for future shock’ is defined as how we, as advanced Internet users, will continue to understand, utilise, insure protection/privacy and continue to move forward with communication technologies as they evolve.
Module 5 presented the following information regarding the future of the Internet:
"Some of the developments expected to impact on our use of the net include:
- Further penetration of broadband
- Increasing delivery of multimedia – video, voice etc;
- Increasing security & authentification – smartcards, digital signatures etc
- Wifi / portable computing / communication devices
- Intelligent agents
- Semantic web
Two significant initiatives predicted to change the way we organise and use the Internet are Internet2 and PlanetLab". (Allen, n.d)
Internet2
planetLab
http://www.planet-lab.org
PlanetLab builds testbed for new Internet services - Peter Sayer
I have decided to end the module with a couple of my own personal thoughts, whether I need to prepare for future shock or just utilise my new founded skills and prepare for the future.
Personally I don’t think that the future would entail any real ‘shock’ so to speak with technology advances. I feel that in society today we expect increasing technological advances, the core, the www, is already established. I would expect the aesthetics of how the Internet presents itself to consistently change, meeting new user demands, advancing toward more refined tools utilising speed and access of information.
The topic of the end of Net Neutrality, from our Discussion Board, did stir me somewhat in the beginning. I had never heard of this before my studies and had to take a step back to reflect on how I really felt about it and how it would affect my future.
If it was a topic that was broadcast regularly in the media, my views would change some, but in the now, like I said, I hadn’t heard of this before. Do I think I am wasting my time and money studying the Internet when there is the possibility that my hopes of future employment may not come to fruition?
No I don’t.
I think if it were a real threat, I feel I would have heard more about it before now. If I cease my studies and nothing eventuates, then I will have fallen victim to lost time and opportunity, something I don’t want to risk. That is why I took this course to begin with, opportunity.
I am sure that even on the downside, my new found skills would still have a niche somewhere in the industry.
The Internet is an integrated benefit of society, I would imagine that impeding our use of the Internet would be as detrimental as cutting our power supply. We rely on it too much for there to be any real future shock. Yes it will change and evolve, and if we have to pay more, we will. Whether in support to any change or not, we will adjust and continue.
One area that I am surprised hasn’t incurred change yet is the revenue derived from such sites as Ebay. Income from Internet business is huge, why hasn’t the Government implemented a tax system for these earnings. Will future transactions be monitored though Pay Pal for example, and earnings taxed accordingly?
After a quick search on the topic of Internet taxes, I found the following website quoting information regarding Powersellers on Ebay. I am providing a link only to the website rather than publishing the quote due to their Privacy Policy.
The Internet and the future
I envisage speed, access and aesthetics the obvious changes in the future. Our growing dependence on the Internet for personal use and business will continue to demand technological advances. Another search, this time looking into where the Internet may be heading, in say 2018, gives insight into what we may expect in the future. I found the following websites an interesting read.
URL: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/resources/guides/g2/s6.htm
AUTHOR: Mr. Joseph Alhadeff
INSTITUTION: BIAC ICCP Committee
In conclusion to how I feel about the Internet and future growth, I am quite excited. I have taken so much for granted as a blasé Internet user, I now embrace my future, and the future of Internet. I am at the beginning of an exciting journey and will continue to understand and develop the motivations of an Advanced Internet User.
Curriculum Reference:
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Further thoughts.....Net Neutrality... Still in the back of my mind
I still keep thinking about future shock and the fall of Net Neutrality. Deep down I don't feel that the ecology of the Internet is at risk of users well being. Too many of us are dependent of this system, businesses and personal, surely this will not be jeopardised. Yet this topic has showed emotional conflicts within students of Net11.
I will keep following views of future shock definitely. The future within the Internet is important to my journey and ignorance about what is happening today and tomorrow is not in my vocabulary anymore. The Internet is what I make of it as a user. The more knowledge I gain throughout my studies, the better prepared I feel I will be for any future revelations.
