CONSEQUENCES AND CONCLUSIONS Chapter 12 Shedletsky & Aitken Human Communication on the Internet

Introductory Comments n In the early days of the Internet, there was a great deal of access to information and discussion; n With the commercialization of the Internet, we see a striking move in the direction of controlling the flow of information and discussion; n This has created a tension;

Tension n The tension between an open Internet and a controlled Internet could lead to leaving people out--or not; n The ideology of the early days of the Internet has been described as collectivist—content not determined by the corporate world; n Just how this tension will be played out is important to us all;

What We Do Think n Computers and the Internet will become more capable; n Computers and the Internet will become more pervasive; n Technological advances should include; –Increased capacity –More convergence –Smaller size –Greater mobility –Increased flexibility –Lower cost

Convergence n Convergence is the integration of various media; n Internet users vs. nonusers is an over simplistic approach to analyzing Internet effects; n We live at the beginning of the age of convergence;

The Future n We recognize the great danger in suggesting possible future scenarios; n Media history has left a long and quite evident trail of mistaken prophecies; n Erroneous predictions date back to at least the advent of writing; n Change in communication technology goes quickly and slowly (“Paul Saffo and the 30- Year Rule”);

The Future n Our focus is on a communication perspective, and certain facts get our attention: –The great increase in Internet traffic –The amount of communication behavior of Internet users –Time spent online is increasing –Wireless technology to access the Internet –The size of the Internet is expanding rapidly –The public’s (positive) attitude toward the Internet

The Future n Recognizing that our predictions are likely to be wrong, we speculate that: –The Internet will encourage a casual style of writing –That this will carry over into non-Internet writing –Writing will mimic the spoken, conversational form

The Future n We speculate that: –Collaboration over the Internet will grow –The Internet will be transformative in our thinking –It engages our imagination with the idea of a ‘space’ for multiple purposes n A space accessed from multiple locations n In more and more ways n In multiple times n One that expands and integrates far flung functions n One that blurs boundaries and creates new categories

A New Space n The generative idea we are proposing here is at once: – private and public –Intrapersonal and transpersonal –Breaks old communication boundaries and creates new ones

Some Final Thoughts n In spite of the dangers of predicting the communication future, we offer a few thoughts to guide our observations: –(1) computers and the Internet will become more capable –(2) computers and the Internet will become more pervasive –(3) the capabilities of the Internet and human desire will determine the future of communication on the Internet