Seven New Trends in the Internet

I found Professor Isakov's lecture on information technology highly interesting, especially because many of the technologies that were mentioned had the potential to impact my life and my internet use on several levels, and challenged some of my perceptions about the use of technology.

Part of the reason why much of the presentation was surprising was because such ideas went beyond how I typically used technology. I was initially surprised to hear that four billion people- over half the Earth's human population- used mobile computing devices to access the internet, as I found it almost inconceivable that the Internet could have become so widespread, especially given the considerable "digital divide" even in the United States. However, I then remembered that some non-profit organizations that had participated in microeconomics had lent women in developing countries cell phones, and agreed with Professor Isakov's observation that such devices were cheaper than computers. Having almost never used the camera on my cell phone, my initial reaction to hearing about the QR codes was skepticism, as I initially believed them to be little more than a gimmick. I was then intrigued to hear about the possibility of them being used to create extra space in newspapers, but upon further reflection, I am concerned that this change might potentially alienate the more traditionally-minded newspaper readers.

This may be the result of my being somewhat slow to adopt technological trends into my lifestyle. While I regularly use my cell phone and e-mail, I hardly ever access Facebook, and I do not Twitter.

These technologies may very well change my habits, which is something I often find difficult, particularly when it comes to technology. Upon initially hearing about Google alternatives, I had already known about Google's deficiencies from articles like this one, but had grown used to using it and doubted I could easily replace it. I tried Kosmix a few times, and found it superior to Google. It effectively sorted the results, giving me the ones I needed, and helping to put them into categories, but it may take me a while before I start regularly using it over Google. On the other hand, the concept of storing documents online is not a new one for me, as I occasionally e-mail documents to myself when transferring them between my home computer and my laptop, thus following a similar principle.

The Internet is a constantly changing technology, and it is important to keep abreast of the various new innovations that are out there. Such changes may force us to keep different habits, but they also redefine the way information reaches us, and open up new opportunities for those willing to take them.