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Internet & IT
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2006-09-25 08:41:54-04
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Future of the internet, bright but negatives loom large
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Washington, Sept 25: The survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which asked people what they thought of the effect of the internet on social, political and economic life in the year 2020, concluded that though the World Wide Web will continue to spread in a flattening and improving world there might be some who will retaliate against technology. A total of 742 technology thinkers and stakeholders took part in the online survey. The views of the respondents who completed this survey were varied; there was general agreement about how technology might evolve, but there less agreement among the respondents about the impact of this evolution. The report canvassed opinions from the experts on seven broad scenarios about the future Internet, based on developments in the technology in recent years. A majority (58%) agreed with predictions that refuseniks will emerge as a cultural group characterised by their choice to live off the network and that some will resort to terror acts in protest against technology. A total of 35% of respondents disagreed with that scenario and 7% had no opinion. On the issue of 'Deployment of a global network' most of the respondents agreed with a scenario where most people around the world will have access to a low-cost internet connection. And they agreed that a techabetted "flattening" of the world will open up opportunities for success for many people who will compete globally. Most respondents said they think humans will remain in charge of technology between now and 2020. However some fear that a Sci-Fi movie like scenario might arise where the technological progress will eventually create machines and processes that move beyond human control while others said they fear that the leaders who exercise control of the technology might use this power inappropriately. There is a widespread expectation that people will consciously or unconsciously disclose more about themselves, gaining some benefits in the process even as they lose some privacy. Respondents were split evenly on whether the world will be a better place in 2020 due to the greater transparency of people and institutions afforded by the internet: 46% agreed that the benefits of greater transparency of organizations and individuals would outweigh the privacy costs and 49% disagreed. By the year 2020, virtual reality on the internet will come to allow more productivity from most people in technologically-savvy communities than working in the "real world." But the attractive nature of virtual reality worlds will also lead to serious addiction problems for many, as we lose people to alternate realities. Many respondents said they accept the idea that English will be the world's lingua franca for cross-cultural communications in the next few decades. Most respondents stressed that linguistic diversity is good and that the internet will allow the preservation of languages and associated cultures. Others noted that all languages evolve over time and argued that the internet will abet that evolution. When asked what their priority would be for future investments of time and money in networking, 78% of the respondents identified two goals for the world's policy makers and the technology industry to pursue, building network capacity and spreading knowledge about technology to help people of all nations. As the society goes virtual, and networks become essential part of our lives, the struggle will move online. Issues like the net taking away our privacy, addiction, violence and the threat of the machines taking control of our lives exist, but solutions to these problems can always be achieved.
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