A current hot topic in the public press is “The Internet of Things” Basically this is the next step in the evolution of the internet from an informational base to an automated functional one. That is, computers connected to devices and devices connected to devices, doing things.
The scope of the internet of things can span from turning on the lights in your home automatically as you arrive because your GPS sends a signal to the light switch as you come into the vicinity of your home; to initiating a request for tax payment or explanation when a large lump sum is deposited to your account (one computer tells another about the deposit, an algorithm is triggered analyzing your financial behavior, determining a tax revenue opportunity based on an unusual lump sum deposit and action is initiated)
Today’s furor about the internet of things (IOT) is very reminiscent to me of the public press about the internet in the late 1980’s and early to mid- 1990’s predicting how the internet would change the world wide behavior. And it did. And IOT is just beginning, in 20 years we will be part of the same kind of massive transformation resulting from the internet.
How does this change things?
In 2006 Facebook was available to everyone over the age 13. By 2014 the incoming post secondary cohort had been using the internet since kindergarten and were the first generation of new university students with facebook access since they started high school. Think about how that influences their perception of what a friend is and how you communicate with them.
F2F or Face to Face communication is becoming a rare art form that has it’s own acronym. When I was growing up the default communication channel was face to face.
What good has come from the Internet!
This is a loaded question with many answers. A huge topic which I will continue to explore ongoing through my blog postings.
That being said, a good example I can think of is Kerrzone.
Kerrzone is a product of the internet explosion. The domain was registered in the late 1990’s, html code written, apache web server installed, dynamic domain name service implemented and the web site was off.
Over the years the domain has been used for a variety of communication purposes, the latest addition is this blog (there are other web sites under the Kerrzone banner too).
The benefits are intangible to be sure, but knowledge and information sharing is how humanity has grown and improved through the ages (inhumanity too, but good with the bad). And Kerrzone is just a part of this, a positive addition. (Maybe a subjective assessment but I own the domain so hey ……..)