Task 1C-1 Question 1

As the internet grows and expands, the following trends emerge:
The internet is increasingly being use for entertainment: online games, fun websites, download of music and movies, etc.
New products and services are available on the internet: voice over IP (VOIP), online education, e-comers, etc.
The internet is also having an impact on a social demention: people are communicating on the internet via chat rooms and bulletin boards and internet dating is also growing rapidly. New forms of social and psychological problems are emerging because of the inappropriate use of the internet.

I agree. A lot more use will also be made of the internet by the average household. For instance online banking and shopping online and e-learning will expand drastically. Working from home will also become an option.

All things wireless will get preference from desktop to mobile media players, cell phones and pda's with the combined use of bluetooth.

One of the challenges of the internet will be to retrieve relevant information in an acceptable time period.

The social aspect is worrying as people will become more isolated from each other.

I agree that people could become isolated from each other through the use of internet chatting and internet dating etc. But on the other hand, most chat programs (like Skype & MSN messenger for instance) support the use of webcams and microphones. This makes chatting more personal as you can now actually see the other person as opposed to just talking to a "cyber person". This has also made it much more fun to communicate with friends who have left the country to go overseas. Instead of just being able to write a letter, you can now talk to them via the internet and webcams as mentioned above. Of course, it still is important to build social skills through interaction with people who surround you from day to day. This would mean actually going to the mall to do your shopping instead of doing it over the internet etc. So depending on how you look at it, this area of the internet could be good or bad.

Internet telephony and audio conferencing are some of the trends emerging, some people are already aware of VOIP technology but in future more and more people will be able to transfer files and data whenever and wherever. They will be able to receive their incoming calls through computers. Competition among Companies will be stiff coz they would want to offer better packages and better services. The human touch will be lost along the way. More people will prefer the convenience of communicating through their PC's than face to face. VOIP is one of the hot technologies.

Bigger, Better, Faster and MORE. I predict all aspects of our lives will be affected by the growing trends of the Internet. Whether you are a student, Corporate management or stay at home moms our lives are simplified by technology including the net. When was the last time you looked at an encyclopedia for a project? With so much info available to us for free it is user friendly for old and young. The challenge is staying in touch with the new trends and applying them to your needs. The Internet creates an exciting environment at your finger tips.

I agree with most of the preceding comments. I definitely think that voip and online education are growing trends, and that voip is definitely the “hot� technology of the moment. An additional trend that seems to be increasing is that of “blogging�. Not only has “blogging� become a personal/individual past time, but many businesses have established “blogs� in order to provide clients/prospective clients with industry insights, thoughts and ideas. One of the critical impacts that the increased use of the internet is having is the infringement on individual “privacy�. This in particular has been one of the drivers for the South African Law Commission to spearhead the development of Privacy Legislation in South Africa. We currently have a draft bill on privacy.

While the internet does shrink the world bringing like minded people together in common forums, such as this, and keeping us in touch with friends that have gone overseas, we risk losing our privacy. As more people start sharing personal information, security will become a bigger issue. Already there are viruses that take your personal documents hostage until a ransom is paid. AS a result of this, the obtaining and providing of security, will in my view be one of the fastest growing facets of the internet.

Yes like with everything else you will get people trying to break and steal thngs of the internet. I think the security can still inprove a lot.
I also think the internet will change the way businesses is structured. The internet makes it possible to do your work from home and flextime is becoming more and more popular. Both employees and companies save, less office space needed, and less commuting.

I agree with most with most if not all of the comments with regards to Internet trends and developments. The evolution of Internet brings with it new services that would otherwise not have been possible. Podcasting is one such service. Audio streaming makes it possible for one to listen to his/her favourite local radio station from anywhere in the world - talk of "local is lekker". The laws of Convergence (digital and analogue broadcasting) also have a role to play in this regard. Legislation plays its part as well. In South Africa, The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, provide for "electronic signatures" which makes e-commerce more legitimate and trustworthy. Internet revolution has impact on other technological developments as well. I am thinking of wireless/satellite technologies that have to come to the party to provide for wireless broadband. Hence the emergence of new standards, 3G, CDMA, WiFi, WiMax, etc.