on Jun 26th, 2007How do you define evolution of the internet ?
How do you define evolution on the internet ? When experts predict how the internet will evolve and what the future trends will be , what are the factors that are taken into account. 10 years back, no one could have predicted Social Networks and blogs , but look where we stand today. Evolution can mean a lot of things we could evolve with respect to …..
Technology. The core technologies can change. From HTML to web services to Flash , the technologies that make the foundation of the internet can change. The methods in which we access the internet can change , course, its the technological aspect. We have wireless internet, we have BPL – bandwidth through power lines. The means in which we access the internet can change. We access internet from PCs, laptops, mobile phones, handhelds, kiosks. Widgets were probably never even though of 10 years back.
How about usability ? the way people use the internet has changed dramatically. Tons of data being uploaded everyday. Almost all of information of a person can be found on the internet. Thats why any criminal is always looked up in myspace or other social networks. Also how people interact with internet applications is also a factor to consider. Today we have IM, telephony, music players, media libraries, wikis, photo sharing services, blogs, and many other ways to interact with the internet. Who knows? probably in three years time you can transfer money from one account to another by just sending an IM through your favorite client.
Its not just we who perceive the internet. The way the internet perceives users has also changed. Its not just X searching on google, its X who lives here, likes this, hates that, has searched for Y before and is more probable to buy Z. The future could hold machines that can identify with you, relate to you and even deliver specially tailored content to you. The web has also become extremely customizable with every site offering you the concept of skins and templates.
What bout user behavior and usage? ten years back double clicking on the browser wasn’t even a concept. Autofilling textboxes and combo boxes were a fantasy. and Drag Drop, well it wasn’t available for some the best desktop apps, forget the web. Today people use them like they have been around for ages.
what about user evolution ? I have gone on from becoming a mail checker -> sleeze surfer -> information hunter -> programmer -> webmaster -> blogger and I have missed out probably tens of roles. How do we account for user evolution and experience.
Its pretty fuzzy for me. How do you define evolution on the internet ?
