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Time To Take the Internet Seriously

Posted by kdawson on from the weather-eye dept.

santosh maharshi passes along an article on Edge by David Gelernter, the man who (according to the introduction) predicted the Web and first described cloud computing; he's also a Unabomber survivor. Gelernter makes 35 predictions and assertions, some brilliant, some dubious. "6. We know that the Internet creates 'information overload,' a problem with two parts: increasing number of information sources and increasing information flow per source. The first part is harder: it's more difficult to understand five people speaking simultaneously than one person talking fast — especially if you can tell the one person to stop temporarily, or go back and repeat. Integrating multiple information sources is crucial to solving information overload. Blogs and other anthology-sites integrate information from many sources. But we won't be able to solve the overload problem until each Internet user can choose for himself what sources to integrate, and can add to this mix the most important source of all: his own personal information — his email and other messages, reminders and documents of all sorts. To accomplish this, we merely need to turn the whole Cybersphere on its side, so that time instead of space is the main axis. ... 14. The structure called a cyberstream or lifestream is better suited to the Internet than a conventional website because it shows information-in-motion, a rushing flow of fresh information instead of a stagnant pool."

8 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Serious by shird · · Score: 5, Funny

    As we all know, the Internet is serious business.
    http://drunkenachura.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/internet-serious-business.jpg

    --
    I.O.U One Sig.
    1. Re:Serious by Tynin · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think the issue is David Gelernter failed to predict how most of the Internet communities talk to each other. Not to mention it would require a massive restructuring of the Internet, but given the latest whispers of what ACTA will bring us, I guess it is more likely than not.

    2. Re:Serious by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh Great!, Now I have to marry the internet?

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      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  2. Seriously, by miracle69 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where are we going to take it?

    And did Al Gore give us a curfew?

    --
    Linux - Because Mommy taught me to Share.
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Re:Take the internet seriously? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ?! Stop staring at me, goddammit! I'm schizophrenic and you're goddamn staring is exacerbating my paranoia! FUCK!!

  5. Time to start taking ourselves too seriously by michaelmalak · · Score: 5, Funny
    Time to start taking ourselves too seriously

    No moment in technology history has ever been more exciting or dangerous than now, when I started speaking.

  6. Re:Take the internet seriously? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Parent was talking to me idiot.