In 10 Years, Every Human Connected To the Internet Will Have a Timeline

Presto Vivace writes: O'Reilly Radar has an article about how ubiquitous tracking and collection of data will fundamentally change how we live. Quoting: "This timeline — beginning for newborns at Year Zero — will be so intrinsic to life that it will quickly be taken for granted. Those without a timeline will be at a huge disadvantage. Those with a good one will have the tricks of a modern mentalist: perfect recall, suggestions for how to curry favor, ease maintaining friendships and influencing strangers, unthinkably higher Dunbar numbers — now, every interaction has a history. This isn’t just about lifelogging health data, like your Fitbit or Jawbone. It isn’t about financial data, like Mint. It isn’t just your social graph or photo feed. It isn’t about commuting data like Waze or Maps. It’s about all of these, together, along with the tools and user interfaces and agents to make sense of it."

Comments

What do you mean 'in 10 years'?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is already the case - we don't have to wait ten years. Except to actually have access to our own timelines - right now they are under tight government/corporate security.

Re:What do you mean 'in 10 years'?

[ranton]

This story is about how this will fundamentally change the way we live (and government surveillance doesn't do that). The article mentions how a great deal of this data is already being collected and is somewhat accessible to the masses. But it contends that within 10 years a standard individual will have an instant connection to a very holistic view of this data.

The social contract will fundamentally change when this information becomes so easily accessible. Knowing a slightly abridged version of the life story of everyone who walks past you in the supermarket instantaneously. Having the cliff notes of the past few conversations you had with every friend / coworker as soon as you are about to talk with them again. The benefits and of course the privacy concerns are staggering. But I am among those who believe the benefits will be so great that people will gladly give up their privacy for them. Mostly out of ignorance of what they are actually giving up, but they will lose it all the same.

Re:What do you mean 'in 10 years'?

[cayenne8]

I'm kinda glad I was born before the complete Timeline Age then.

Sometimes people forget the importance of Not Being Seen .

Re:What do you mean 'in 10 years'?

[kheldan]

Never mind 'What do you mean 'in ten years'', how about 'not at all'? I am not a participant in ANY social media at this point, and even when I did I NEVER used my real name or even allowed people to post photographs of my face. When forced to use my real name, it's for things like purchases. There is no 'timeline' for me, nor would I allow such, and to sit there and say 'you can't avoid it' is extremely naive and defeatist. There still is such a thing as privacy -- you just have to fight for it.

Re:What do you mean 'in 10 years'?

[ColaMan]

I am not a participant in ANY social media at this point

You don't define slashdot as 'social media'?

But I know you live in the US. You're somewhere in your late 40's. And like to ride bikes. And train on said bikes a lot because you're on a road race team. And that's just the first page of your slashdot comments that I idly flicked through.

I suppose you could tell me that's all part of the plan and that you're actually a dog........

The Elephant Internet

[skgrey]

Great, so now the breakup of my ex-girlfriend from years is going to be used by others when judging my worth in relationships, or maybe health data. Or finance. Data is beautiful, but it can be really evil. Deeds will no longer be forgotten at some point; we'll be the sum of all of our decisions on the inside *and now* the outside for everyone to see.

Re:The Elephant Internet

[Attila Dimedici]

No, it won't be the breakup with your ex-girlfriend from years ago that you will be judged on. You will be judged based on that STD that your timeline says you had ten years ago, as reported by a doctor you never saw (or even heard of). The problem isn't that deeds will never be forgotten (well, OK that will be a problem too). It is that deeds you never committed, but the database says you did, will never be forgotten.

Bullshit

[tekrat]

In 10 years, half of humanity will have had enough of this bullshit and will have hacked their way to privacy, or have decided that the internet just isn't worth it, or will have adapted multiple identities so as to confuse others.

And I should know, as I am traditionally an early-adopter, and have taken all three paths myself. I am also currently at the point of thinking it's better to destroy the current internet and rebuild it -- but without all the bullshit.

Re:Bullshit

[jeffmeden]

In 10 years, half of humanity will have had enough of this bullshit and will have hacked their way to privacy, or have decided that the internet just isn't worth it, or will have adapted multiple identities so as to confuse others.

And I should know, as I am traditionally an early-adopter, and have taken all three paths myself. I am also currently at the point of thinking it's better to destroy the current internet and rebuild it -- but without all the bullshit.

The internet is certainly better off without the 50% which is complete bullshit. The problem is, at this point we have no idea which 50% that is.

Those without a timeline will be at an advantage

[Errol backfiring]

Those without a timeline will be at a huge advantage

There, fixed that for you. If influencing strangers is named as an advantage, I strongly disagree. Strangers more likely influence anyone with a publicly available profile. Remaining anonymous gets more important every day.

er, okay.

[nimbius]

The argument being asserted is predicated on the idea that in 10 years everyone will be a drooling simpleton incapable of action outside of consuming the product. you're always going to have hackers writing pedometers for android and scoffing at a pay for play system that puts them at a genuine disadvantage. Its why safety razors and thrift shop clothing are making a comeback despite a multibillion dollar shoe sales convention with a rubber ball.

Those without a timeline will be at a huge disadvantage.

you told me the same thing about google plus, facebook, myspace, twitter, instagram, youtube, vine, secondlife, and tumblr. I seem to have suffered no loss in "advantage" though. Let me put it in your terms, maybe that will help. #GETOFFMYLAWN.

I don't know

[ugen]

For now the big 3 credit reporting agencies can't even make a decent snapshot of what I *am* now, never mind any past history.

I am constantly surprised by incorrect addresses, wrong phones, misspelled names and other such junk (mostly because data entry clerks elsewhere can't be bothered to enter data right, or poorly designed "business systems" don't handle it properly).

My driver license from one state was not properly canceled, when I moved and obtained license in another - so for a while, unknowingly, I had two parallel driver licenses and separate records (even though presumably states share that information).

The only place where information about me seems to resemble anything like reality is my own linkedin profile, and that's because I care to keep it correct.

That's not to say there isn't a ton of information on each and every one of us, and the amount keeps growing. However, most of that information is of poor quality, and not organized - something I wouldn't expect to change anytime soon. The only danger I see is that new generation is conditioned to maintain their own timeline and do the information-cleaning job for the big corporations and government for free. So, let's wait and see, shall we.

Small Town, Small World

[tomhath]

A couple of generations ago this was also true for most people. In a small town everyone knew you, your family, and everything about you. It some places that's still true. You did (and do) have the option of moving away; but that meant you were starting out in a new place with no timeline.

That would be a nightmare.

[Anonymous Coward]

Knowing a slightly abridged version of the life story of everyone who walks past you in the supermarket instantaneously.

I have spent the last 20 years growing. I am not the very hostile and shy person I was years ago.

To have people bring up things from 20 years ago and use it to judge me now would be a nightmare. At least with people who have known me all these years, they have seen the changes and have mostly forgotten or let go my past behavior. But to have people who see my past without context and the long and hard work I have put into being a better person would ruin me.

Technology is increasingly removing our ability to make mistakes and move on with our lives. That is a hellish future.

Re:That would be a nightmare.

[fustakrakich]

Maybe technology will encourage people to learn forgiveness, and to filter out the superfluous.

Re:That would be a nightmare.

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for that. I needed a good laugh.

Re:That would be a nightmare.

[mbone]

Ah, but doesn't everyone go through at least a mildly awkward adolescence? You'd see all their "crappy poetry written in blood' moments, too.

Yes, and what that means is that, while the youthful indiscretions of those favored by the system will be ignored, those of anyone who stands in the way of powerful interests will be used to persecute them.