What will the Internet and World-Wide Web be like 10 years from now?

What changes do we expect to see in Internet and World-Wide Web over the next few years that will make it better?

Using the Internet and Web in our Car

Car radio will be replaced by Internet/Web console for music, news, entertainment, maps, directions, reservations, geographical positioning.

True Mobile Computing

Will begin to give way to transmitters mounted on side of computer sending and receiving information to and from reception station

Better Internet Accessibility for All People

Research work proceeding at rapid pace to make Internet and World-Wide Web truly accessible to vision impaired, hearing impaired, or individuals with other impairments

Telephone Calls

Entire phone system as we know it (including local and long distance calls) may some day be viewed as simply one of features of the Internet

A Merging of the Internet with Radio, Television, Newspapers, Magazines, Books

World-Wide Web beginning to look a lot like television with animated images and streaming audio and video. Why not simply combine the two?

Digital newspapers, magazines, books with Web links

Replacing CD-ROMs and DVDs with the Web

CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read-Only Memory) and DVD (Digital Video Disc) are stopgap measure until bandwidths and computer speeds get so good that anything now on CD-ROM or DVD can be accessed just as quickly over the Web

Using the Web as a Book Supplement

Supplementary Website for book with information constantly updated so that combination of book and Website are as current as possible

The Postal Service Goes Almost Completely To Email

Post Office and magazine publishers are already exploring this

Distance Learning

Internet (especially Web) permits all course material -- readings, assignments, supplementary materials, and exams -- to be available on computer network. Student in rural Indiana could "attend" Purdue University via the Internet.

We will discuss the following if time permits

(1) Why are Things so Hard to Find?

The Web is like the Library of Congress with all the books scattered on the floor in random order. Search Engines (like Yahoo and Lycos) appeared to hold promise, but now look to be poorly equipped to handle the growing Web.

(2) Who is in Control Here?

The Internet is like the old Wild West; no one is in charge. To what extent does the First Amendment apply to the Internet? What can (or even should) be done about pornography and offensive material?

(3) How Can we Protect Intellectual Property Rights?

How can text and images be shared on the Web without being co-opted? Are existing copyright laws sufficient to deal with the Web?

(4) What about Privacy?

Is your every action on the Web being monitored and recorded? What rules and laws should apply to the use of cookies and visitor logs?

(5) Can We Find the Right Mix of Security and Free Access?

A totally secure Web would be ponderously slow and difficult to use. What categories of information must be protected? How can firewalls and Intranets help?

(6) What Can We Do to Make Things Go Faster?

Speed up servers, more bandwidth, faster modems, "smart" browser caching, network caching.