I was eager to read the latest blog posting by Vint Cerf, Google's Chief Internet Evangelist, on the next generation Internet. What does he have to say?
Vince says that most of us will have access to the Internet at increasing speeds. Many things will be on the Internet. They will know where they are and be able to discover other devices in the neighbourhood. The Internet will transform the video medium. The choice of content will be under consumer control. RFID tags will help us find our car keys. And there will be Internet-enabled washing machines. Er... that's mostly it.
So what happened to global information warfare, virtual business worlds, Big Brother, electronic cash, large scale cyber crime, real-time espionage, minority democracy and all the other important trends that will transform our life? Not quite as significant, I guess, as finding those car keys and sorting out the weekly wash.
It's yet another forecast that brings to mind that classic Basil Fawlty quote: "Can't we get you on Mastermind...specialist subject: stating the bleeding obvious..."
