TASK IC-1

Task 1C-1

I have read all the posts with interest, and I agree wholeheartedly with the most of the points stated.
I think the internet trends for the future will be:

1.Focus on education. Online schools will become the norm, and education will not only be classroom-based but online, and will reach more and more children and adults. Distances will become meaningless as the internet will provide lessons at home or wherever one is.
2.Online shopping will become the norm, prices and quality can be compared in the comfort of one’s home, and the variety will be infinite as more stores join the online shopping list.
3.Focus on internet security. More research and money will be invested in internet security, both for banking and shopping as well as for the prevention of scams, spam and virus/worm attacks.
4.The internet will help with “greening” or cleaning of the planet, first of all via information, and then because of less travelling to work places; more work will be carried out at home offices; and meetings will be held via video conferencing or webcams etc. Travelling will be more for leisure than for work, and the internet (as is already happening), will make it easier to book trips and accommodation.
5.Increased use of VOIP will make communication cheaper and easier.
6.Online socializing and gaming will become more prevalent.

-More accessible: the internet provides inactive people eg. disabled or sick to be active in communicating and with shopping online.
-Education becomes easier to provide: more students and scolars can be reached via the internet.
-Shopping online: From your home everything can be viewed without driving anywhere, prices can be compared and easy buying becomes the norm.
-Worldwide communication: Easier to reach anybody worldwide.

I envision social-networking tools taking off in an even bigger way than we see now; moving beyond the 'social' aspect into the realm of business and professional collaboration (a personal example; I'm collaborating on a book/blog project with a writer I've never met offline who's based in the UK. Using resources like google talk and google docs, we're able to communicate constantly and work on projects simultaneously)
With the plethora of open source software and resources available online, knowledge and skills development no longer come at a premium.