| I. The Genetic BlueprintA decade after the invention | | | | browser to call a central computer. This computer will |
| of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee is | | | | contain the needed software, broken to its elements |
| promoting the "Semantic Web". The Internet hitherto | | | | (=applets, small applications). Anytime the user wishes |
| is a repository of digital content. It has a rudimentary | | | | to use one of the functions of the application, he will |
| inventory system and very crude data location | | | | siphon it off the central computer. When finished - he |
| services. As a sad result, most of the content is | | | | will "return" it. Processing speeds and response times |
| invisible and inaccessible. Moreover, the Internet | | | | will be such that the user will not feel at all that he is |
| manipulates strings of symbols, not logical or semantic | | | | not interacting with his own software (the question |
| propositions. In other words, the Net compares | | | | of ownership will be very blurred). This technology is |
| values but does not know the meaning of the values | | | | available and it provoked a heated debated about the |
| it thus manipulates. It is unable to interpret strings, to | | | | future shape of the computing industry as a whole |
| infer new facts, to deduce, induce, derive, or | | | | (desktops - really power packs - or network |
| otherwise comprehend what it is doing. In short, it | | | | computers, a little more than dumb terminals). Access |
| does not understand language. Run an ambiguous | | | | to online applications are already offered to corporate |
| term by any search engine and these shortcomings | | | | users by ASPs (Application Service Providers).In the |
| become painfully evident. This lack of understanding | | | | last few years, scientists have harnessed the |
| of the semantic foundations of its raw material (data, | | | | combined power of online PC's to perform astounding |
| information) prevent applications and databases from | | | | feats of distributed parallel processing. Millions of PCs |
| sharing resources and feeding each other. The | | | | connected to the net co-process signals from outer |
| Internet is discrete, not continuous. It resembles an | | | | space, meteorological data, and solve complex |
| archipelago, with users hopping from island to island in | | | | equations. This is a prime example of a collective |
| a frantic search for relevancy.Even visionaries like | | | | brain in action.B. The Intranet - a Logical Extension of |
| Berners-Lee do not contemplate an "intelligent Web". | | | | the Collective ComputerLANs (Local Area Networks) |
| They are simply proposing to let users, content | | | | are no longer a rarity in corporate offices. WANs |
| creators, and web developers assign descriptive | | | | (wide Area Networks) are used to connect |
| meta-tags ("name of hotel") to fields, or to strings of | | | | geographically dispersed organs of the same legal |
| symbols ("Hilton"). These meta-tags (arranged in | | | | entity (branches of a bank, daughter companies of a |
| semantic and relational "ontologies" - lists of | | | | conglomerate, a sales force). Many LANs and WANs |
| metatags, their meanings and how they relate to | | | | are going wireless.The wireless intranet/extranet and |
| each other) will be read by various applications and | | | | LANs are the wave of the future. They will gradually |
| allow them to process the associated strings of | | | | eliminate their fixed line counterparts. The Internet |
| symbols correctly (place the word "Hilton" in your | | | | offers equal, platform-independent, |
| address book under "hotels"). This will make | | | | location-independent and time of day - independent |
| information retrieval more efficient and reliable and | | | | access to corporate memory and nervous system. |
| the information retrieved is bound to be more | | | | Sophisticated firewall security applications protect the |
| relevant and amenable to higher level processing | | | | privacy and confidentiality of the intranet from all but |
| (statistics, the development of heuristic rules, etc.). | | | | the most determined and savvy crackers.The |
| The shift is from HTML (whose tags are concerned | | | | Intranet is an inter-organizational communication |
| with visual appearances and content indexing) to | | | | network, constructed on the platform of the |
| languages such as the DARPA Agent Markup | | | | Internet and it, therefore, enjoys all its advantages. |
| Language, OIL (Ontology Inference Layer or | | | | The extranet is open to clients and suppliers as |
| Ontology Interchange Language), or even XML | | | | well.The company's server can be accessed by |
| (whose tags are concerned with content taxonomy, | | | | anyone authorized, from anywhere, at any time (with |
| document structure, and semantics). This would bring | | | | local - rather than international - communication |
| the Internet closer to the classic library card | | | | costs). The user can leave messages (internal e-mail |
| catalogue.Even in its current, pre-semantic, | | | | or v-mail), access information - proprietary or public - |
| hyperlink-dependent, phase, the Internet brings to | | | | from it, and participate in "virtual teamwork" (see |
| mind Richard Dawkins' seminal work "The Selfish | | | | next chapter).The development of measures to |
| Gene" (OUP, 1976). This would be doubly true for the | | | | safeguard server routed inter-organizational |
| Semantic Web.Dawkins suggested to generalize the | | | | communication (firewalls) is the solution to one of |
| principle of natural selection to a law of the survival | | | | two obstacles to the institutionalization of Intranets. |
| of the stable. "A stable thing is a collection of atoms | | | | The second problem is the limited bandwidth which |
| which is permanent enough or common enough to | | | | does not permit the efficient transfer of audio (not |
| deserve a name". He then proceeded to describe the | | | | to mention video).It is difficult to conduct video |
| emergence of "Replicators" - molecules which created | | | | conferencing through the Internet. Even the voices |
| copies of themselves. The Replicators that survived | | | | of discussants who use internet phones (IP |
| in the competition for scarce raw materials were | | | | telephony) come out (though very slightly) |
| characterized by high longevity, fecundity, and | | | | distorted.All this did not prevent 95% of the Fortune |
| copying-fidelity. Replicators (now known as "genes") | | | | 1000 from installing intranet. 82% of the rest intend |
| constructed "survival machines" (organisms) to shield | | | | to install one by the end of this year. Medium to big |
| them from the vagaries of an ever-harsher | | | | size American firms have 50-100 intranet terminals |
| environment.This is very reminiscent of the Internet. | | | | per every internet one.One of the greatest |
| The "stable things" are HTML coded web pages. | | | | advantages of the intranet is the ability to transfer |
| They are replicators - they create copies of | | | | documents between the various parts of an |
| themselves every time their "web address" (URL) is | | | | organization. Consider Visa: it pushed 2 million |
| clicked. The HTML coding of a web page can be | | | | documents per day internally in 1996.An organization |
| thought of as "genetic material". It contains all the | | | | equipped with an intranet can (while protected by |
| information needed to reproduce the page. And, | | | | firewalls) give its clients or suppliers access to |
| exactly as in nature, the higher the longevity, | | | | non-classified correspondence, or inventory systems. |
| fecundity (measured in links to the web page from | | | | Many B2B exchanges and industry-specific purchasing |
| other web sites), and copying-fidelity of the HTML | | | | management systems are based on extranets.C. The |
| code - the higher its chances to survive (as a web | | | | Transport of Information - Mail and ChatThe Internet |
| page).Replicator molecules (DNA) and replicator HTML | | | | (its e-mail function) is eroding traditional mail. 90% of |
| have one thing in common - they are both packaged | | | | customers with on-line access use e-mail from time |
| information. In the appropriate context (the right | | | | to time and 60% work with it regularly. More than 2 |
| biochemical "soup" in the case of DNA, the right | | | | billion messages traverse the internet daily.E-mail |
| software application in the case of HTML code) - this | | | | applications are available as freeware and are included |
| information generates a "survival machine" (organism, | | | | in all browsers. Thus, the Internet has completely |
| or a web page).The Semantic Web will only increase | | | | assimilated what used to be a separate service, to |
| the longevity, fecundity, and copying-fidelity or the | | | | the extent that many people make the mistake of |
| underlying code (in this case, OIL or XML instead of | | | | thinking that e-mail is a feature of the Internet.The |
| HTML). By facilitating many more interactions with | | | | internet will do to phone calls what it has done to |
| many other web pages and databases - the | | | | mail. Already there are applications (Intel's, Vocaltec's, |
| underlying "replicator" code will ensure the "survival" | | | | Net2Phone) which enable the user to conduct a |
| of "its" web page (=its survival machine). In this | | | | phone conversation through his computer. The voice |
| analogy, the web page's "DNA" (its OIL or XML code) | | | | quality has improved. The discussants can cut into |
| contains "single genes" (semantic meta-tags). The | | | | each others words, argue and listen to tonal nuances. |
| whole process of life is the unfolding of a kind of | | | | Today, the parties (two or more) engaging in the |
| Semantic Web.In a prophetic paragraph, Dawkins | | | | conversation must possess the same software and |
| described the Internet:"The first thing to grasp about | | | | the same (computer) hardware. In the very near |
| a modern replicator is that it is highly gregarious. A | | | | future, computer-to-regular phone applications will |
| survival machine is a vehicle containing not just one | | | | eliminate this requirement. And, again, simultaneous |
| gene but many thousands. The manufacture of a | | | | multi-modality: the user can talk over the phone, see |
| body is a cooperative venture of such intricacy that | | | | his party, send e-mail, receive messages and transfer |
| it is almost impossible to disentangle the contribution | | | | documents - without obstructing the flow of the |
| of one gene from that of another. A given gene will | | | | conversation.The cost of transferring voice will |
| have many different effects on quite different parts | | | | become so negligible that free voice traffic is |
| of the body. A given part of the body will be | | | | conceivable in 3-5 years. Data traffic will overtake |
| influenced by many genes and the effect of any one | | | | voice traffic by a wide margin.The next phase will |
| gene depends on interaction with many others...In | | | | probably involve virtual reality. Each of the parties will |
| terms of the analogy, any given page of the plans | | | | be represented by an "avatar", a 3-D figurine |
| makes reference to many different parts of the | | | | generated by the application (or the user's likeness |
| building; and each page makes sense only in terms of | | | | mapped and superimposed on the the avatar). These |
| cross-reference to numerous other pages."What | | | | figurines will be multi-dimensional: they will possess |
| Dawkins neglected in his important work is the | | | | their own communication patterns, special habits, |
| concept of the Network. People congregate in cities, | | | | history, preferences - in short: their own |
| mate, and reproduce, thus providing genes with new | | | | "personality".Thus, they will be able to maintain an |
| "survival machines". But Dawkins himself suggested | | | | "identity" and a consistent pattern of communication |
| that the new Replicator is the "meme" - an idea, | | | | which they will develop over time.Such a figure could |
| belief, technique, technology, work of art, or bit of | | | | host a site, accept, welcome and guide visitors, all |
| information. Memes use human brains as "survival | | | | the time bearing their preferences in its electronic |
| machines" and they hop from brain to brain and | | | | "mind". It could narrate the news, like the digital |
| across time and space ("communications") in the | | | | anchor "Ananova" does. Visiting sites in the future is |
| process of cultural (as distinct from biological) | | | | bound to be a much more pleasant affair.D. The |
| evolution. The Internet is a latter day meme-hopping | | | | Transport of Value - E-cashIn 1996, four corporate |
| playground. But, more importantly, it is a Network. | | | | giants (Visa, MasterCard, Netscape and Microsoft) |
| Genes move from one container to another through | | | | agreed on a standard for effecting secure payments |
| a linear, serial, tedious process which involves | | | | through the Internet: SET. Internet commerce is |
| prolonged periods of one on one gene shuffling | | | | supposed to mushroom to $25 billion by 2003. Site |
| ("sex") and gestation. Memes use networks. Their | | | | owners will be able to collect rent from passing |
| propagation is, therefore, parallel, fast, and | | | | visitors - or fees for services provided within the site. |
| all-pervasive. The Internet is a manifestation of the | | | | Amazon instituted an honour system to collect |
| growing predominance of memes over genes. And | | | | donations from visitors. PayPal provides millions of |
| the Semantic Web may be to the Internet what | | | | users with cash substitutes. Gradually, the Internet |
| Artificial Intelligence is to classic computing. We may | | | | will compete with central banks and banking systems |
| be on the threshold of a self-aware Web.2. The | | | | in money creation and transfer.E. The Transport of |
| Internet as a Chaotic LibraryA. The Problem of | | | | Interactions - The Virtual OrganizationThe Internet |
| CataloguingThe Internet is an assortment of billions | | | | allows for simultaneous communication and the |
| of pages which contain information. Some of them | | | | efficient transfer of multimedia (video included) files |
| are visible and others are generated from hidden | | | | between an unlimited number of users. This opens up |
| databases by users' requests ("Invisible Internet").The | | | | a vista of mind boggling opportunities which are the |
| Internet exhibits no discernible order, classification, or | | | | real core of the Internet revolution: the virtual |
| categorization. Amazingly, as opposed to "classical" | | | | collaborative ("Follow the Sun") modes.Examples:A |
| libraries, no one has yet invented a (sorely needed) | | | | group of musicians is able to compose music or play |
| Internet cataloguing standard (remember Dewey?). | | | | it - while spatially and temporally |
| Some sites indeed apply the Dewey Decimal System | | | | separated;Advertising agencies are able to |
| to their contents (Suite101). Others default to a | | | | co-produce ad campaigns in a real time |
| directory structure (Open Directory, Yahoo!, Look | | | | interaction;Cinema and TV films are produced from |
| Smart and others).Had such a standard existed (an | | | | disparate geographical spots through the teamwork |
| agreed upon numerical cataloguing method) - each | | | | of people who never meet, except through the |
| site could have self-classified. Sites would have an | | | | Net.These examples illustrate the concept of the |
| interest to do so to increase their visibility. This, | | | | "virtual community". Space and time will no longer |
| naturally, would have eliminated the need for today's | | | | hinder team collaboration, be it scientific, artistic, |
| clunky, incomplete and (highly) inefficient search | | | | cultural, or an ad hoc arrangement for the provision |
| engines.Thus, a site whose number starts with 900 | | | | of a service (a virtual law firm, or accounting office, |
| will be immediately identified as dealing with history | | | | or a virtual consultancy network). The intranet can |
| and multiple classification will be encouraged to allow | | | | also be thought of as a "virtual organization", or a |
| finer cross-sections to emerge. An example of such | | | | "virtual business".The virtual mall and the virtual |
| an emerging technology of "self classification" and | | | | catalogue are prime examples of spatial and temporal |
| "self-publication" (though limited to scholarly | | | | liberation.In 1998, there were well over 300 active |
| resources) is the "Academic Resource Channel" by | | | | virtual malls on the Internet. In 2000, they were |
| Scindex.Moreover, users will not be required to | | | | frequented by 46 million shoppers, who shopped in |
| remember reams of numbers. Future browsers will be | | | | them for goods and services.The virtual mall is an |
| akin to catalogues, very much like the applications | | | | Internet "space" (pages) wherein "shops" are located. |
| used in modern day libraries. Compare this utopia to | | | | These shops offer their wares using visual, audio and |
| the current dystopy. Users struggle with mounds of | | | | textual means. The visitor passes through a virtual |
| irrelevant material to finally reach a partial and | | | | "gate" or storefront and examines the merchandise |
| disappointing destination. At the same time, there | | | | on offer, until he reaches a buying decision. Then he |
| likely are web sites which exactly match the poor | | | | engages in a feedback process: he pays (with a |
| user's needs. Yet, what currently determines the | | | | credit card), buys the product, and waits for it to |
| chances of a happy encounter between user and | | | | arrive by mail (or downloads it).The manufacturers of |
| content - are the whims of the specific search engine | | | | digital products (intellectual property such as e-books |
| used and things like meta-tags, headlines, a fee paid, | | | | or software) have begun selling their merchandise |
| or the right opening sentences.B. Screen vs. PageThe | | | | on-line, as file downloads. Yet, slow communications |
| computer screen, because of physical limitations (size, | | | | speeds, competing file formats and reader standards, |
| the fact that it has to be scrolled) fails to effectively | | | | and limited bandwidth - constrain the growth potential |
| compete with the printed page. The latter is still the | | | | of this mode of sale. Once resolved - intellectual |
| most ingenious medium yet invented for the storage | | | | property will be sold directly from the Net, on-line. |
| and release of textual information. Granted: a | | | | Until such time, the mediation of the Post Office is |
| computer screen is better at highlighting discrete units | | | | still required. As long as this is the state of the art, |
| of information. So, these differing capacities draw the | | | | the virtual mall is nothing but a glorified computerized |
| battle lines: structures (printed pages) versus units | | | | mail catalogue or Buying Channel, the only difference |
| (screen), the continuous and easily reversible (print) | | | | being the exceptionally varied inventory.Websites |
| versus the discrete (screen).The solution lies in finding | | | | which started as "specialty stores" are fast |
| an efficient way to translate computer screens to | | | | transforming themselves into multi-purpose virtual |
| printed matter. It is hard to believe, but no such thing | | | | malls. Amazon.com, for instance, has bought into a |
| exists. Computer screens are still hostile to off-line | | | | virtual pharmacy and into other virtual businesses. It |
| printing. In other words: if a user copies information | | | | is now selling music, video, electronics and many |
| from the Internet to his word processor (or vice | | | | other products. It started as a bookstore.This |
| versa, for that matter) - he ends up with a | | | | contrasts with a much more creative idea: the virtual |
| fragmented, garbage-filled and non-aesthetic | | | | catalogue. It is a form of narrowcasting (as opposed |
| document.Very few site developers try to do | | | | to broadcasting): a surgically accurate targeting of |
| something about it - even fewer succeed.C. Dynamic | | | | potential consumer audiences. Each group of profiled |
| vs. Static InteractionsOne of the biggest mistakes of | | | | consumers (no matter how small) is fitted with their |
| content suppliers is that they do not provide a | | | | own - digitally generated - catalogue. This is updated |
| "static-dynamic interaction".Internet-based content | | | | daily: the variety of wares on offer (adjusted to |
| can now easily interact with other media (e.g., | | | | reflect inventory levels, consumer preferences, and |
| CD-ROMs) and with non-PC platforms (PDA's, mobile | | | | goods in transit) - and prices (sales, discounts, |
| phones).Examples abound:A CD-ROM shopping | | | | package deals) change in real time. Amazon has |
| catalogue interacts with a Web site to allow the user | | | | incorporated many of these features on its web site. |
| to order a product. The catalogue could also be | | | | The user enters its web site and there delineates his |
| updated through the site (as is the practice with | | | | consumption profile and his preferences. A |
| CD-ROM encyclopedias). The advantages of the | | | | customized catalogue is immediately generated for |
| CD-ROM are clear: very fast access time (dozens of | | | | him including specific recommendations. The history of |
| times faster than the access to a Web site using a | | | | his purchases, preferences and responses to |
| dial up connection) and a data storage capacity | | | | feedback questionnaires is accumulated in a database. |
| hundreds of times bigger than the average Web | | | | This intellectual property may well be Amazon's main |
| page.Another example:A PDA plug-in disposable chip | | | | asset.There is no technological obstacles to |
| containing hundreds of advertisements or a "yellow | | | | implementing this vision today - only administrative |
| pages". The consumer selects the ad or entry that | | | | and legal (patent) ones. Big brick and mortar retail |
| she wants to see and connects to the Internet to | | | | stores are not up to processing the flood of data |
| view a relevant video. She could then also have an | | | | expected to result. They also remain highly sceptical |
| interactive chat (or a conference) with a salesperson, | | | | regarding the feasibility of the new medium. And |
| receive information about the company, about the | | | | privacy issues prevent data mining or the effective |
| ad, about the advertising agency which created the | | | | collection and usage of personal data (remember the |
| ad - and so on.CD-ROM based encyclopedias (such as | | | | case of Amazon's "Readers' Circles").The virtual |
| the Britannica, or the Encarta) already contain | | | | catalogue is a private case of a new internet |
| hyperlinks which carry the user to sites selected by | | | | off-shoot: the "smart (shopping) agents". These are |
| an Editorial Board.NoteCD-ROMs are probably a | | | | AI applications with "long memories".They draw |
| doomed medium. Storage capacity continually | | | | detailed profiles of consumers and users and then |
| increases exponentially and, within a year, desktops | | | | suggest purchases and refer to the appropriate sites, |
| with 80 Gb hard disks will be a common sight. | | | | catalogues, or virtual malls.They also provide price |
| Moreover, the much heralded Network Computer - | | | | comparisons and the new generation cannot be |
| the stripped down version of the personal computer | | | | blocked or fooled by using differing product |
| - will put at the disposal of the average user | | | | categories.In the future, these agents will cover also |
| terabytes in storage capacity and the processing | | | | brick and mortar retail chains and, in conjunction with |
| power of a supercomputer. What separates | | | | wireless, location-specific services, issue a map of the |
| computer users from this utopia is the communication | | | | branch or store closest to an address specified by |
| bandwidth. With the introduction of radio and satellite | | | | the user (the default being his residence), or yielded |
| broadband services, DSL and ADSL, cable modems | | | | by his GPS enabled wireless mobile or PDA. This |
| coupled with advanced compression standards - | | | | technology can be seen in action in a few music sites |
| video (on demand), audio and data will be available | | | | on the web and is likely to be dominant with wireless |
| speedily and plentifully.The CD-ROM, on the other | | | | internet appliances. The owner of an internet enabled |
| hand, is not mobile. It requires installation and the | | | | (third generation) mobile phone is likely to be the |
| utilization of sophisticated hardware and software. | | | | target of geographically-specific marketing campaigns, |
| This is no user friendly push technology. It is | | | | ads and special offers pertaining to his current |
| nerd-oriented. As a result, CD-ROMs are not an | | | | location (as reported by his GPS - satellite Geographic |
| immediate medium. There is a long time lapse | | | | Positioning System).F. The Transport of Information - |
| between the moment of purchase and the moment | | | | Internet NewsInternet news are advantaged. They |
| the user accesses the data. Compare this to a book | | | | are frequently and dynamically updated (unlike static |
| or a magazine. Data in these oldest of media is | | | | print news) and are always accessible (similar to print |
| instantly available to the user and they allow for easy | | | | news), immediate and fresh.The future will witness a |
| and accurate "back" and "forward" functions.Perhaps | | | | form of interactive news. A special "corner" in the |
| the biggest mistake of CD-ROM manufacturers has | | | | news Web site will accommodate "breaking news" |
| been their inability to offer an integrated hardware | | | | posted by members of the the public (or corporate |
| and software package. CD-ROMs are not compact. A | | | | press releases). This will provide readers with a |
| Walkman is a compact hardware-cum-software | | | | glimpse into the making of the news, the raw |
| package. It is easily transportable, it is thin, it contains | | | | material news are made of. The same technology will |
| numerous, user-friendly, sophisticated functions, it | | | | be applied to interactive TVs. Content will be |
| provides immediate access to data. So does the | | | | downloaded from the internet and displayed as an |
| discman, or the MP3-man, or the new generation of | | | | overlay on the TV screen or in a box in it. The |
| e-books (e.g., E-Ink's). This cannot be said about the | | | | contents downloaded will be directly connected to |
| CD-ROM. By tying its future to the obsolete concept | | | | the TV programming. Thus, the biography and track |
| of stand-alone, expensive, inefficient and | | | | record of a football player will be displayed during a |
| technologically unreliable personal computers - | | | | football match and the history of a country when it |
| CD-ROMs have sentenced themselves to oblivion | | | | gets news coverage.4. Terra Internetica - Internet, |
| (with the possible exception of reference material).D. | | | | an Unknown ContinentLaymen and experts alike talk |
| Online ReferenceA visit to the on-line Encyclopaedia | | | | about "sites" and "advertising space". Yet, the |
| Britannica demonstrates some of the tremendous, | | | | Internet was never compared to a new continent |
| mind boggling possibilities of online reference - as well | | | | whose surface is infinite.The Internet has its own real |
| as some of the obstacles.Each entry in this | | | | estate developers and construction companies. The |
| mammoth work of reference is hyperlinked to | | | | real life equivalents derive their profits from the |
| relevant Web sites. The sites are carefully screened. | | | | scarcity of the resource that they exploit - the |
| Links are available to data in various forms, including | | | | Internet counterparts derive their profits from the |
| audio and video. Everything can be copied to the | | | | tenants (content producers and distributors, e-tailers, |
| hard disk or to a R/W CD.This is a new conception | | | | and others).Entrepreneurs bought "Internet Space" |
| of a knowledge centre - not just a heap of material. | | | | (pages, domain names, portals) and leveraged their |
| The content is modular and continuously enriched. It | | | | acquisition commercially by:Renting space |
| can be linked to a voice Q&A centre. Queries by | | | | out;Constructing infrastructure on their property and |
| subscribers can be answered by e-mail, by fax, | | | | selling it;Providing an intelligent gateway, entry point |
| posted on the site, hard copies can be sent by post. | | | | (portal) to the rest of the internet;Selling advertising |
| This "Trivial Pursuit" or "homework" service could be | | | | space which subsidizes the tenants (Yahoo!-Geocities, |
| very popular - there is considerable appetite for "Just | | | | Tripod and others);Cybersquatting (purchasing specific |
| in Time Information". The Library of Congress - | | | | domain names identical to brand names in the "real" |
| together with a few other libraries - is in the process | | | | world) and then selling the domain name to an |
| of making just such a service available to the public | | | | interested party.Internet Space can be easily |
| (CDRS - Collaborative Digital Reference Service).E. | | | | purchased or created. The investment is low and |
| Derivative ContentThe Internet is an enormous | | | | getting lower with the introduction of competition in |
| reservoir of archives of freely accessible, or even | | | | the field of domain registration services and the |
| public domain, information.With a minimal investment, | | | | increase in the number of top domains.Then, |
| this information can be gathered into coherent, | | | | infrastructure can be erected - for a shopping mall, |
| theme oriented, cheap compilations (on CD-ROMs, | | | | for free home pages, for a portal, or for another |
| print, e-books or other media).F. E-PublishingThe | | | | purpose. It is precisely this infrastructure that the |
| Internet is by far the world's largest publishing | | | | developer can later sell, lease, franchise, or rent |
| platform. It incorporates FAQs (Q&A's regarding | | | | out.But this real estate bubble was the culmination of |
| almost every technical matter in the world), e-zines | | | | a long and tortuous process.At the beginning, only |
| (electronic magazines), the electronic versions of print | | | | members of the fringes and the avant-garde |
| dailies and periodicals (in conjunction with on-line news | | | | (inventors, risk assuming entrepreneurs, gamblers) |
| and information services), reference material, | | | | invest in a new invention. No one knows to say what |
| e-books, monographs, articles, minutes of discussions | | | | are the optimal uses of the invention (in other words, |
| ("threads"), conference proceedings, and much more | | | | what is its future). Many - mostly members of the |
| besides.The Internet represents major advantages to | | | | scientific and business elites - argue that there is no |
| publishers. Consider the electronic version of a | | | | real need for the invention and that it substitutes a |
| p-zine.Publishing an e-zine promotes the sales of the | | | | new and untried way for old and tried modes of |
| printed edition, it helps sign on subscribers and it leads | | | | doing the same things (so why assume the risk of |
| to the sale of advertising space. The electronic | | | | investing in the unknown and the untried?).Moreover, |
| archive function (see next section) saves the need | | | | these criticisms are usually well-founded.To start with, |
| to file back issues, the physical space required to do | | | | there is, indeed, no need for the new medium. A |
| so and the irritating search for data items.The future | | | | new medium invents itself - and the need for it. It |
| trend is a combined subscription to both the | | | | also generates its own market to satisfy this newly |
| electronic edition (mainly for the archival value and | | | | found need.Two prime examples of this self-recursive |
| the ability to hyperlink to additional information) and | | | | process are the personal computer and the compact |
| to the print one (easier to browse the current issue). | | | | disc.When the PC was invented, its uses were |
| The Economist is already offering free access to its | | | | completely unclear. Its performance was lacking, its |
| electronic archives as an inducement to its print | | | | abilities limited, it was unbearably user unfriendly. It |
| subscribers.The electronic daily presents other | | | | suffered from faulty design, was absent any user |
| advantages:It allows for immediate feedback and for | | | | comfort and ease of use and required considerable |
| flowing, almost real-time, communication between | | | | professional knowledge to operate. The worst part |
| writers and readers. The electronic version, | | | | was that this knowledge was exclusive to the new |
| therefore, acquires a gyroscopic function: a navigation | | | | invention (not portable). It reduced labour mobility and |
| instrument, always indicating deviations from the | | | | limited one's professional horizons. There were many |
| "right" course. The content can be instantly updated | | | | gripes among workers assigned to tame the new |
| and breaking news incorporated in older | | | | beast. Managers regarded it at best as a |
| content.Specialty hand held devices already allow for | | | | nuisance.The PC was thought of, at the beginning, as |
| downloading and storage of vast quantities of data | | | | a sophisticated gaming machine, an electronic |
| (up to 4000 print pages). The user gains access to | | | | baby-sitter. It included a keyboard, so it was thought |
| libraries containing hundreds of texts, adapted to be | | | | of in terms of a glorified typewriter or spreadsheet. |
| downloaded, stored and read by the specific device. | | | | It was used mainly as a word processor (and the |
| Again, a convergence of standards is to be expected | | | | outlay justified solely on these grounds). The |
| in this field as well (the final contenders will probably | | | | spreadsheet was the first real PC application and it |
| be Adobe's PDF against Microsoft's | | | | demonstrated the advantages inherent to this new |
| MS-Reader).Currently, e-books are dichotomously | | | | machine (mainly flexibility and speed). Still, it was |
| treated either as:Continuation of print books | | | | more of the same. A speedier sliding ruler. After all, |
| (p-books) by other means, or as a whole new | | | | said the unconvinced, what was the difference |
| publishing universe.Since p-books are a more | | | | between this and a hand held calculator (some of |
| convenient medium then e-books - they will prevail in | | | | them already had computing, memory and |
| any straightforward "medium replacement" or | | | | programming features)?The PC was recognized as a |
| "medium displacement" battle.In other words, if | | | | medium only 30 years after it was invented with the |
| publishers will persist in the simple and straightforward | | | | introduction of multimedia software. All this time, the |
| conversion of p-books to e-books - then e-books are | | | | computer continued to spin off markets and |
| doomed. They are simply inferior and cannot offer | | | | secondary markets, needs and professional |
| the comfort, tactile delights, browseability and | | | | specialties. The talk as always was centred on how |
| scanability of p-books.But e-books - being digital - | | | | to improve on existing markets and solutions.The |
| open up a vista of hitherto neglected possibilities. | | | | Internet is the computer's first important application. |
| These will only be enhanced and enriched by the | | | | Hitherto the computer was only quantitatively |
| introduction of e-paper and e-ink. Among | | | | different to other computing or gaming devices. |
| them:Hyperlinks within the e-book and without it - to | | | | Multimedia and the Internet have made it qualitatively |
| web content, reference works, etc.;Embedded | | | | superior, sui generis, unique.Part of the problem was |
| instant shopping and ordering links;Divergent, | | | | that the Internet was invented, is maintained and is |
| user-interactive, decision driven plotlines;Interaction | | | | operated by computer professionals. For decades |
| with other e-books (using a wireless standard) - | | | | these people have been conditioned to think in |
| collaborative authoring or reading groups;Interaction | | | | Olympic terms: faster, stronger, higher - not in terms |
| with other e-books - gaming and community | | | | of the new, the unprecedented, or the non-existent. |
| activities;Automatically or periodically updated | | | | Engineers are trained to improve - seldom to invent. |
| content;Multimedia;Database, Favourites, Annotations, | | | | With few exceptions, its creators stumbled across |
| and History Maintenance (archival records of reading | | | | the Internet - it invented itself despite |
| habits, shopping habits, interaction with other readers, | | | | them.Computer professionals (hardware and |
| plot related decisions and much more);Automatic and | | | | software experts alike) - are linear thinkers. The |
| embedded audio conversion and translation | | | | Internet is non linear and modular.It is still the age of |
| capabilities;Full wireless piconetworking and | | | | hackers. There is still a lot to be done in improving |
| scatternetworking capabilities.The technology is still | | | | technological prowess and powers. But their control |
| not fully there. Wars rage in both the wireless and | | | | of the contents is waning and they are being |
| the e-book realms. Platforms compete. Standards | | | | gradually replaced by communicators, creative people, |
| clash. Gurus debate. But convergence is inevitable and | | | | advertising executives, psychologists, venture |
| with it the e-book of the future.G. The Archive | | | | capitalists, and the totally unpredictable masses who |
| FunctionThe Internet is also the world's biggest | | | | flock to flaunt their home pages and |
| cemetery: tens of thousands of deadbeat sites, still | | | | graphomania.These all are attuned to the user, his |
| accessible - the "Ghost Sites" of this electronic | | | | mental needs and his information and entertainment |
| frontier.This, in a way, is collective memory. One of | | | | preferences.The compact disc is a different tale. It |
| the Internet's main functions will be to preserve and | | | | was intentionally invented to improve upon an |
| transfer knowledge through time. It is called | | | | existing technology (basically, Edison's Gramophone). |
| "memory" in biology - and "archive" in library science. | | | | Market-wise, this was a major gamble. The |
| The history of the Internet is being documented by | | | | improvement was, at first, debatable (many said that |
| search engines (Google) and specialized services | | | | the sound quality of the first generation of compact |
| (Alexa) alike.3. The Internet as a Collective Nervous | | | | discs was inferior to that of its contemporaneous |
| SystemDrawing a comparison from the development | | | | record players). Consumers had to be convinced to |
| of a human infant - the human race has just | | | | change both software and hardware and to dish out |
| commenced to develop its neural system.The | | | | thousands of dollars just to listen to what the |
| Internet fulfils all the functions of the Nervous | | | | manufacturers claimed was more a authentically |
| System in the body and is, both functionally and | | | | reproduced sound. A better argument was the longer |
| structurally, pretty similar. It is decentralized, | | | | life of the software (though when contrasted with |
| redundant (each part can serve as functional backup | | | | the limited life expectancy of the consumer, some of |
| in case of malfunction). It hosts information which is | | | | the first sales pitches sounded absolutely morbid).The |
| accessible through various paths, it contains a | | | | computer suffered from unclear positioning. The |
| memory function, it is multimodal (multimedia - | | | | compact disc was very clear as to its main functions |
| textual, visual, audio and animation).I believe that the | | | | - but had a rough time convincing the consumers that |
| comparison is not superficial and that studying the | | | | it was needed.Every medium is first controlled by the |
| functions of the brain (from infancy to adulthood) is | | | | technical people. Gutenberg was a printer - not a |
| likely to shed light on the future of the Net itself. The | | | | publisher. Yet, he is the world's most famous |
| Net - exactly like the nervous system - provides | | | | publisher. The technical cadre is joined by dubious or |
| pathways for the transport of goods and services - | | | | small-scale entrepreneurs and, together, they |
| but also of memes and information, their processing, | | | | establish ventures with no clear vision, |
| modeling, and integration.A. The Collective | | | | market-oriented thinking, or orderly plan of action. |
| ComputerCarrying the metaphor of "a collective | | | | The legislator is also dumbfounded and does not |
| brain" further, we would expect the processing of | | | | grasp what is happening - thus, there is no legislation |
| information to take place on the Internet, rather than | | | | to regulate the use of the medium. Witness the initial |
| inside the end-user's hardware (the same way that | | | | confusion concerning copyrighted vs. licenced |
| information is processed in the brain, not in the eyes). | | | | software, e-books, and the copyrights of ROM |
| Desktops will receive results and communicate with | | | | embedded software. Abuse or under-utilization of |
| the Net to receive additional clarifications and | | | | resources grow. The sale of radio frequencies to the |
| instructions and to convey information gathered from | | | | first cellular phone operators in the West - a situation |
| their environment (mostly, from the user).Put | | | | which repeats itself in Eastern and Central Europe |
| differently:In future, servers will contain not only | | | | nowadays - is an example.But then more complex |
| information (as they do today) - but also software | | | | transactions - exactly as in real estate in "real life" - |
| applications. The user of an application will not be | | | | begin to emerge. The Internet is likely to converge |
| forced to buy it. He will not be driven into | | | | with "real life". It is likely to be dominated by brick |
| hardware-related expenditures to accommodate the | | | | and mortar entities which are likely to import their |
| ever growing size of applications. He will not find | | | | business methods and management. As its eccentric |
| himself wasting his scarce memory and computing | | | | past (the boom and the dot.bomb bust) recedes - a |
| resources on passive storage. Instead, he will use a | | | | sustainable and profitable future awaits it. |