The Future of the Internet II

[Tags: web design, new media]. From Poynter:

"the Pew Internet & American Life project released an intriguing new report, The Future of the Internet II, by Lee Rainie. A survey of 742 "internet leaders, activists, and analysts" from around the world yielded some consensus on several predictions. Here are a few of the things this report claims might come to pass by 2020:

• "A low-cost global network will be thriving and creating new opportunities in a 'flattening' world." (As long as net neutrality doesn't hit the skids, I guess.)
  
• "A significant 42% of survey respondents were pessimistic about humans’ ability to control the technology in the future. [They] agreed that dangers and dependencies will grow beyond our ability to stay in charge of technology. This was one of the major surprises in the survey."
  
• "Tech 'refuseniks' will emerge as a cultural group characterized by their choice to live off the network. Some will do this as a benign way to limit information overload, while others will commit acts of violence and terror against technology-inspired change."