This month marks the 25th anniversary of British inventor Tim Berners-Lee’s proposal for a system of hypertext, which provided the language for establishing the internet. Here’s what we can expect the internet to look like 25 years from now:
Going online will be as simple as shouting, “Let’s internet!” and then manually turning on your computer, connecting to the Wi-Fi network, and opening up your web browser
The construction of national broadband networks will give Americans greater access to online resources provided by shitty, underperforming cable carriers
Internet-capable learning devices such as tablets, Smart Boards, and interactive projectors will be widely used in America’s public schools, from affluent elementary and middle schools to affluent high schools and private schools
Ethernet cables to be up to 5 inches longer
Right now woodcraft.com is the premier message board for discussing woodworking, but in 2021 a rival forum will gain popularity and attract many of the community’s most respected members. However, by 2025 most of those users will return, and woodcraft.com will regain its position as the top woodworking message board.
Technological innovations will confirm central thesis of Meagan Harper’s Com 201 paper about people being closer but farther apart
John Candy’s Wikipedia page tightened up a bit
High-speed fiber-optic cables will allow users to ignore your web series at speeds currently unimaginable
Consumers may become obsessed with the technology, to the point where they are on the internet for hours each day
