Comments for 10 Future Web Trends

10 Future Web Trends

2007-09-05T19:22:23Z

We're well into the current era of the Web, commonly referred to as Web 2.0. Features of this phase of the Web include search, social networks, online media (music, video, etc), content aggregation and syndication (RSS), mashups (APIs), and much more. Currently the Web is still mostly accessed via a PC, but we're starting to see more Web excitement from mobile devices (e.g. iPhone) and television sets (e.g. XBox Live 360).

What then can we expect from the next 10 or so years on the Web? As NatC commented in this week's poll, the biggest impact of the Web in 10 years time won't necessarily be via a computer screen - "your online activity will be mixed with your presence, travels, objects you buy or act with." Also a lot of crossover will occur among the 10 trends below (and more) and there will be Web technologies that become enormously popular that we can't predict now.

Bearing all that in mind, here are 10 Web trends to look out for over the next 10 years...

1. Semantic Web

Sir Tim Berners-Lee's vision for a Semantic Web has been The Next Big Thing for a long time now. Indeed it's become almost mythical, like Moby Dick. In a nutshell, the Semantic Web is about machines talking to machines. It's about making the Web more 'intelligent', or as Berners-Lee himself described it: computers "analyzing all the data on the Web ‚Äì the content, links, and transactions between people and computers." At other times, Berners-Lee has described it as "the application of weblike design to data" - for example designing for re-use of information.

As Alex Iskold wrote in The Road to the Semantic Web, the core idea of the Semantic Web is to create the meta data describing data, which will enable computers to process the meaning of things. Once computers are equipped with semantics, they will be capable of solving complex semantical optimization problems.

]]> So when will the Semantic Web arrive? The building blocks are here already: RDF, OWL, microformats are a few of them. But as Alex noted in his post, it will take some time to annotate the world's information and then to capture personal information in the right way. Some companies, such as Hakia and Powerset and Alex's own AdaptiveBlue, are actively trying to implement the Semantic Web. So we are getting close, but we are probably a few years off still before the big promise of the Semantic Web is fulfilled.

Semantic Web pic by dullhunk

2. Artificial Intelligence

Possibly the ultimate Next Big Thing in the history of computing, AI has been the dream of computer scientists since 1950 - when Alan Turing introduced the Turing test to test a machine's capability to participate in human-like conversation. In the context of the Web, AI means making intelligent machines. In that sense, it has some things in common with the Semantic Web vision.

We've only begun to scratch the surface of AI on the Web. Amazon.com has attempted to introduce aspects of AI with Mechanical Turk, their task management service. It enables computer programs to co-ordinate the use of human intelligence to perform tasks which computers are unable to do. Since its launch on 2 November 2005, Mechanical Turk has gradually built up a following - there is a forum for "Turkers" called Turker Nation, which appears to have light-to-medium level patronage. However we reported in January that Mturk isn't being used as much as the initial hype period in Nov-Dec 05.

Nevertheless, AI has a lot of promise on the Web. AI techniques are being used in "search 2.0" companies like Hakia and Powerset. Numenta is an exciting new company by tech legend Jeff Hawkins, which is attempting to build a new, brain-like computing paradigm - with neural networks and cellular automata. In english this means that Numenta is trying to enable computers to tackle problems that come easy to us humans, like recognizing faces or seeing patterns in music. But since computers are much faster than humans when it comes to computation, we hope that new frontiers will be broken - enabling us to solve the problems that were unreachable before.

3. Virtual Worlds

Second Life gets a lot of mainstream media attention as a future Web system. But at a recent Supernova panel that Sean Ammirati attended, the discussion touched on many other virtual world opportunities. The following graphic summarizes it well:

Looking at Korea as an example, as the 'young generation' grows up and infrastructure is built out, virtual worlds will become a vibrant market all over the world over the next 10 years.

It's not just about digital life, but also making our real life more digital. As Alex Iskold explained, on one hand we have the rapid rise of Second Life and other virtual worlds. On the other we are beginning to annotate our planet with digital information, via technologies like Google Earth.

4. Mobile

Mobile Web is another Next Big Thing on slow boil. It's already big in parts of Asia and Europe, and it received a kick in the US market this year with the release of Apple's iPhone. This is just the beginning. In 10 years time there will be many more location-aware services available via mobile devices; such as getting personalized shopping offers as you walk through your local mall, or getting map directions while driving your car, or hooking up with your friends on a Friday night. Look for the big Internet companies like Yahoo and Google to become key mobile portals, alongside the mobile operators.

Companies like Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Palm, Blackberry and Microsoft have been active in the Mobile Web for years now, but one of the main issues with Mobile Web has always been usability. The iPhone has a revolutionary UI that makes it easier for users to browse the Web, using zooming, pinching and other methods. Also, as Alex Iskold noted, the iPhone is a strategy that may expand Apple's sphere of influence, from web browsing to social networking and even possibly search.

So even despite the iPhone hype, in the US at least (and probably other countries when it arrives) the iPhone will probably be seen in 10 years time as the breakthrough Mobile Web device.

5. Attention Economy

The Attention Economy is a marketplace where consumers agree to receive services in exchange for their attention. Examples include personalized news, personalized search, alerts and recommendations to buy. The Attention Economy is about the consumer having choice - they get to choose where their attention is 'spent'. Another key ingredient in the attention game is relevancy. As long as the consumer sees relevant content, he/she is going to stick around - and that creates more opportunities to sell.

Expect to see this concept become more important to the Web's economy over the next decade. We're already seeing it with the likes of Amazon and Netflix, but there is a lot more opportunity yet to explore from startups.

Image from The Attention Economy: An Overview, by Alex Iskold

6. Web Sites as Web Services

Alex Iskold wrote in March that as more and more of the Web is becoming remixable, the entire system is turning into both a platform and the database. Major web sites are going to be transformed into web services - and will effectively expose their information to the world. Such transformations are never smooth - e.g. scalability is a big issue and legal aspects are never simple. But, said Alex, it is not a question of if web sites become web services, but when and how.

The transformation will happen in one of two ways. Some web sites will follow the example of Amazon, del.icio.us and Flickr and will offer their information via a REST API. Others will try to keep their information proprietary, but it will be opened via mashups created using services like Dapper, Teqlo and Yahoo! Pipes. The net effect will be that unstructured information will give way to structured information - paving the road to more intelligent computing.

Note that we can also see this trend play out currently with widgets and especially Facebook in 2007. Perhaps in 10 years time the web services landscape will be much more open, because the 'walled garden' problem is still with us in 2007.

Image from Web 3.0: When Web Sites Become Web Services, by Alex Iskold

7. Online Video / Internet TV

This is a trend that has already exploded on the Web - but you still get the sense there's a lot more to come yet. In October 2006 Google acquired the hottest online video property on the planet, YouTube. Later on that same month, news came out that the founders of Kazaa and Skype were building an Internet TV service, nicknamed The Venice Project (later named Joost). In 2007, YouTube continues to dominate. Meanwhile Internet TV services are slowly getting off the ground.

Our network blog last100 has an excellent overview of the current Internet TV landscape, with reviews of 8 Internet TV apps. Read/WriteWeb's Josh Catone also reviewed 3 of them - Joost, Babelgum, Zattoo.

It's fair to say that in 10 years time, Internet TV will be totally different to what it is today. Higher quality pictures, more powerful streaming, personalization, sharing, and much more - it's all coming over the next decade. Perhaps the big question is: how will the current mainstream TV networks (NBC, CNN, etc) adapt?

Zattoo, from Internet Killed The Television Star: Reviews of Joost, Babelgum, Zattoo, and More, by Josh Catone

8. Rich Internet Apps

As the current trend of hybrid web/desktop apps continues, expect to see RIA (rich internet apps) continue to increase in use and functionality. Adobe's AIR platform (Adobe Integrated Runtime) is one of the leaders, along with Microsoft with its Windows Presentation Foundation. Also in the mix is Laszlo with its open source OpenLaszlo platform and there are several other startups offering RIA platforms. Let's not forget also that Ajax is generally considered to be an RIA - it remains to be seen though how long Ajax lasts, or whether there will be a '2.0'.

As Ryan Stewart wrote for Read/WriteWeb back in April 2006 (well before he joined Adobe), "Rich Internet Apps allow sophisticated effects and transitions that are important in keeping the user engaged. This means developers will be able to take the amazing changes in the Web for granted and start focusing on a flawless experience for the users. It is going to be an exciting time for anyone involved in building the new Web, because the interfaces are finally catching up with the content."

The past year has proven Ryan right, with Adobe and Microsoft duking it out with RIA technologies. And there's a lot more innovation to happen yet, so in 10 years time I can't wait to see what the lay of the RIA land is!

9. International Web

As of 2007, the US is still the major market in the Web. But in 10 years time, things might be very different. China is often touted as a growth market, but other countries with big populations will also grow - India and African nations for example.

For most web 2.0 apps and websites (R/WW included), the US market makes up over 50% of their users. Indeed, comScore reported in November 2006 that 3/4 of traffic to top websites is international. comScore said that 14 of the top 25 US Web properties now attract more visitors from outside the US than from within. That includes the top 5 US properties - Yahoo! Sites, Time Warner Network, Microsoft, Google Sites, and eBay.

However, it is still early days and the revenues are not big in international markets at this point. In 10 years time, revenue will probably be flowing from the International Web.

10. Personalization

Personalization has been a strong theme in 2007, particularly with Google. Indeed Read/WriteWeb did a feature week on Personalizing Google. But you can see this trend play out among a lot of web 2.0 startups and companies - from last.fm to MyStrands to Yahoo homepage and more.

What can we expect over the next decade? Recently we asked Sep Kamvar, Lead Software Engineer for Personalization at Google, whether there will be a 'Personal PageRank' system in the future. He replied:

"We have various levels of personalization. For those who are signed up for Web History, we have the deepest personalization, but even for those who are not signed up for Web History, we personalize your results based on what country you are searching from. As we move forward, personalization will continue to be a gradient; the more you share with Google, the more tailored your results will be."

If nothing else, it'll be fascinating to track how Google uses personalization over the coming years - and how it deals with the privacy issues.

Conclusion

We've covered a lot of ground in this post, so tell us know what you think of our predictions. What other Web trends do you forsee over the next decade?

Comment from Alex Iskold on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T19:35:27Z

Richard,

This post simply rocks - its a great, great summary, thanks for putting it together!

Alex

Comment from Mark Schoneveld on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T20:29:41Z

That's a great summary! I wonder if we shouldn't add to this list "discreet". I think one of the most important steps forward for the internet is integration into everyday devices. Your grocery-ordering refrigerator. Your health-monitoring bathroom. Or does this fall under 'semantic web' of machines talking to machines?

Comment from Rich White on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T20:34:15Z

We group IPtv into the mobile media space ... but are VERY focused on the mobile media and virtual environments from an edducational content providers perspective... a few of our Labs insights:
http://labs.greenbush.us
http://tinyurl.com/3awmxb
http://tinyurl.com/33sdq5

Comment from Adam Martin on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T21:09:06Z

As a company currently working with AI developers in India and developing rich internet applications, I think you present a very comprehensive list, all of which have a shared theme: signal vs noise, we live in the noise era with Google our best bet at finding the signal, often 17,567,143 signals - the Web in 10 years will be about the signal - not thinking for me, but guiding my thoughts and responding to my habits.

Comment from James Thomas on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T21:16:24Z

I think this is an accurate prediction of things to come based on what we know today. There's no telling what some kid in a basement has thought up, though.

Also, you forgot to mention XUL under Rich Internet Applications. XUL is the language Firefox is built on, and soon, XUL Runner will be released as a standalone platform for XUL apps like Firefox and all the firefox extensions.

Comment from Ahmet on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T21:27:03Z

You forget about the E-government, will have a big impact on our relation with the government and it's coming soon.
But very nice review :)

Comment from Sebastien Provencher on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T21:50:35Z

I think a web trend that most people miss is the transformation of the web into an exciting hyperlocal tool. The combo of social web, geo-tagging standards, gps-enabled mobile devices, the eventual arrival en masse of small merchants and online municipal governments will forever change the way we see our city or our neighborhood.

Comment from NitinK on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T22:01:30Z

Amazing post, Richard! You've done a terrific job of summarizing the key trends of the web at this time.

One important (and invisible) trend I would add to this list is: the Convergence of Data. Increasingly, we can see content and data from disparate sources all over the web being collected, classified and integrated.

The exciting part is that it enables us to create new meaning out of the whole, information that was not available until many different sources of data had been combined together. This includes crowd-sourcing and mashups, but also much more; it's a combination of #1 and #6 in your list above.

Some examples:
- Once search engines can discern the "perspective" of an article using semantic analysis, a news site could give us a balanced story that includes many different viewpoints. [Indeed, techmeme already does that to some extent, but without the semantic parsing. :-)]
- By classifying health-related information from around the web into a taxonomy, physicians and patients can begin to understand the broader implications of a medical condition, drug interactions, etc.
- By bringing together information about human needs and suffering, philanthropic organizations and individuals, and scientific and economic data, in the future we can better optimize global resources to help those most in need.

Comment from Alex Barnett on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T22:15:21Z

Nice...and you finally got the "attention" bit I see ;-)

Comment from kid mercury on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T22:40:12Z

open source production communities becoming the primary means of software production.

Comment from David Moss on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T22:44:35Z

Richard,

Nice summary. Although I disagree on Amazon Mechanical Turk being labeled "Artificial Intelligence". Their conclusion, summed up in the motto, "Artificial Artificial Intelligence", is that only humans can perform some tasks. Mturk, as you correctly point, simply coordinates those tasks. No AI involved.

I would substitute "Collective Intelligence" for "Artificial Intelligence" on your list. Artificial Intelligence is a long way off; Collective Intelligence - the intelligent aggregation of human knowledge for decision making - is on the horizon.

David Moss
www.crowdrules.com

Comment from androo on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T23:35:43Z

great post... looking forward to see which ones are going to be right...

Comment from Daniel Luke on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T00:02:04Z

Another abusrd and inane post that describes nothing original. Most of the stuff it does describe is stuff that has been fantasized about by computer scientists for decades. I have to wonder sometimes if these people are from a different planet or something.

The biggest thing that has happened, is happening, and will happen has to do with humans interacting with the web ala social networking like facebook, myspace, eHarmony even. That is not on the list, however.

Using the web as facilitator for social networks, by the way, is much newer than AI and many of the other things mentioned. Hook up our brains properly, and AI becomes fucking redundant. I guess the computer geniuses out there will never get it though. Algorithms solve everything.

Comment from george on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T00:18:38Z

geez
a little behind the curve, richard?
don't go out on a limb or anything...

Comment from /pd on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T00:33:15Z

"websites as services" - spot on.. thats the sweet spot !!

Comment from James Vaughn on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T00:43:50Z

During the next ten years, Wimax should finally become virtually ubiquitous, allowing for a far deeper internet experience--websites will really be sites rather than pages.

Comment from Andrew on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T00:53:01Z

Great insights... thanks for sharing, Richard! I think mobile web will be essential to our lives. Currently, wireless bandwidth and data coverage is still lacking... that will change as the big telecom companies continue to build out their infrastructures... Sprint PCS is betting on WiMax to do that.

Comment from HighFivez.com on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T02:10:36Z

Wow. Great post. I love your insight into each area.

Comment from James Blevins on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T02:14:54Z

One small comment about e-government is a small predictor about the revolution that is inevitable. People are realizing that representatives distort the will of the people. They were necessary before communications were instant and nationwide, but today they are the sourse of major distortion of the will of the people. As soon as the people get a taste of real direct democracy, the world as we have known it will dissapear. There will be desperate attempts by the Kings and their cronies (elected representatives bought and paid for by big business) to hang on to their advantages. It will be interesting to see who will prevail, the Kings and their cronies or the will of the people. If the Sunni's of Iraq are any indication, the change may not be pretty.

Comment from JD on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T02:47:09Z

I think that you are missing one important point, "The Web as an Operating System". Within two generations of browsers, browsers will become powerful enough to host almost any Windows application on any device that can support a browser. This will remove the need to monolithic operating systems such as Windows. There are already simple AJAX operating systems online now.

Comment from Jay on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T02:52:35Z

These are not future web trends, these are current trends. Its a misleading title.

Comment from Don Jones on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T03:48:14Z

I don't know - I didn't see anything surprising or off the wall...and that's one thing you can always count on. Something coming from left field - something that few people ever thought of...

Comment from alan on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T05:05:47Z

Truly a revolution is ongoing. There is a likeness of what happened decades ago. People produced their own electrical power but when big power plants came in, they abandoned their own sources and simply connected into the main power line which was reliable and far more cheaper.

Now, companies who get it have started to disconnect from their computer systems and have coupled into the internet which undoubtedly would bring in more business and improved operations.

http://www.grandstart.com

Comment from Josh Nursing on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T05:15:10Z

Richard, you forgot (and it's a huge oversight): Google + CYC in the AI part.

Besides, Mechanical Turk is human, not AI.

In addition, I'm not sure Numenta uses cellular automata at all.

Furthermore, Ben Goertzel also has interesting new technology about AI.

Comment from Taly Weiss on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T06:23:42Z

Very well written. Thanks Richard.

Comment from Mark on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T06:30:47Z

Facebook only gets a mention?! bwahahahahaha!!!!!

Comment from Rich Pearson on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T06:39:48Z

Can't argue with these trends as most seem to be already manifesting right now.

Here's a more controversial one:

Content Creators and those that that index, host and monetize their content make peace, paving the way for the online content economy to flourish. Technology will give content creators and publishers full visibility over how their content moves across the Internet, enabling new forms of licensing - relegating DMCA takedown notices to their rightful place as an option of last resort

Comment from KwangErn on 2007-09-05

2007-09-06T06:57:41Z

Great review.

Though you missed the part on recommendation/discovery services/technology as part of AI ;)

Comment from David Spark on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T07:01:13Z

The major issue in video will be who will control the best content. Apple has started it but with NBC's announcement to leave they're showing that Jobs isn't the only game in town. The audience may follow them or seek out alternative possibly illegal solutions. I've got more in a post entitled Can media companies overcome iTunes' stranglehold on music and video pricing?

Plus, I greatly appreciate the top eight analysis on the video sites. I have a nice companion follow up. Where to catch TV and movies you want to watch.

Comment from jimbo92107 on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T07:35:40Z

Missed a couple of things.

The 3D digital buttocks in all its forms.

Computer crime waves, including physical destruction of infrastructure and cyber disruption of entire economies.

And chatbots that endlessly talk to each other. That'll be fun, for awhile. Maybe they could play chess.

Comment from agmon on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T08:20:22Z

this is the future..
but what about 20 years or 100 year or billions of years a head.

what kind of life will be spreading in outer space seeking new planets?

it starts now.
you can go to www.beinspace.com
upload your web page or blog or send DNA , give the file a name and a link to your site and send it to deep space.

www.beinspace.com

Comment from ram on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T08:52:01Z

it starts now.
you can go to www.beinspace.com
upload your web page or blog or send DNA , give the file a name and a link to your site and send it to deep space.
ya it is absolutely right

Comment from JR on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T09:05:17Z

Great article. Personalisation is one of the main things we can expect. Not to sure about internet TV...

Comment from Julian on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T09:49:49Z

No mention of the hugely addictive Habbo virtual world?

Comment from Marcus Vorwaller on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T11:51:56Z

Wow. This is an excellent post. I'd nominate Freebase as another example of a way Semantic Web is becoming a reality--I think if done right it could be on the level of Wikipedia in the near future.

Comment from Jem42 on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T12:58:23Z

Strikes me there's nothing here that doesn't directly mirror how communications have developed offline over the centuries. No one is actually doing anything revolutionary on the web - they're just inventing new, quicker, lazier ways to do the same old things, ie talk to each other, sell stuff to each other, share information, repackage several different products into a service... Yawn.

When is technology actually going to invent something new, instead of innovate on age-old human discourse...

Comment from Steven Finch on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T13:06:46Z

Richard,

Great Post. Very well summarised.

Comment from Raghavendra on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T13:32:49Z

Virtual Worlds:
This is really exciting. Do you mean we can see a virtual parellel world on the net. Every individual in the world having his own digital clone on the net.
With respect to marketing- Like Cold Calls due to advent of telephony, there will be something else which will target its business in the Virtual world.
Would you expect the barter system to come back. People exchanging services. Some new departments starting in organisations who manage the virtual world.
Marketing in air...Being not sure if someone will see it or not?
Also, people recognised by a unique database number world wide than his first or last name.

Need to wait and watch. Its really exiting to visualise the virtual future.

Comment from Parag Mathur on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T14:15:06Z

Richard,

Excellent post. I think "Web Sites as Web Services" will be a big thing. However, as you mention, the web has to become much more open and move away from the walled gardens to make this happen. Innovation around this would also provide opportunities for content publishers to share monetization revenues with content creators. Hopefully, marketers will become more susceptible to placing ads with user generated content that has been integrated from different sources.

I think AI/Semantic Web is cool but more of a pipe dream at this point. Again, the machines can only process the data they access (if the meta data is crap, they'll churn out crap).

Comment from TitanDeGroot on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T14:20:51Z

The web is always changing some of the things comming up are really awesome. I love being involved in the web community. Nice article.

Comment from Laurent Emoulment on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T17:25:31Z

Nice post.

I would take out virtual worlds - that's going to remain niche. Can't see Mum & Dad taking that one up.

I would put something in about widespread adoption of RSS/XML feeds. When Mum & Dad and my non-geeky friends finally realise how useful feeds can be, that will revolutionise things. (we're seeing a partial example already with facebook & its newsfeeds)

Laurent

Comment from Robert H. Goretsky on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T18:06:37Z

One concept touched upon here but not fully explored is how the presentation of the web will be changing. The convergence of the PC and the TV that has been discussed for quite some time will finally come to light, as we continue to blur the line between traditional broadcast media and YouTube-like new-media..

Robert H. Goretsky
Hoboken, NJ

Comment from Tim on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T18:16:23Z

It will be interesting to see how each of these plays out over the next few years, let alone the next 10. Each of these are ever changing so it would be hard to peg just exactly where they will go.

Comment from Mick Liubinskas on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T18:49:47Z

Really good post Richard.

Those ten are really big ideas and that says that this is a big space with lots of room to move.

I'd like to see a list of the 10 Biggest Moments in Web. Those times when really specific things happened that changed the landscape.

Some ideas from me;

Google AdSense - monetizing micro content.

FaceBook Apps - social operating system.

Twitter at SxSW - mass hysteria around a short message service.

Google Maps - The first time you scrolled around. "Woah! Dude!"

Cheers,

Mick a la Tangler

Comment from Bill on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T19:02:19Z

In the case of future trends, I noticed in a video game plot a device called a PErsonal Terminal (PET) in which the device was a metaweb tool that came with an AI program which did the dirty work of data/comm. retrieval and manipulation and which interacted directly with the user. Given that the fundamentals of web and program design that this technology would utilize are being created now, it's not out of reach of the imagination to assume that devices like these would be available sometime within the next decade.

Comment from Thomas Huhn on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T19:57:00Z

Richard,

I fully agree on all points, but one of the most important topics of the future web is missing: Identity!

I understand you had only 10 bulletpoints and you had a hard time choosing from the top 100. But forming your online identity, controlling what personal data you give to whom and aggregating all your and your environments lifestreams in an open social network is simply essential for the further development of the web.

On the other hand we're really not talking about the next 10 years here - taking the first steps to offer solutions for at least 6 out of your 10 bulletpoints and adding Identity 2.0 on top will be here in a few days - more details here http://yowhassup.com/blog/2007/09/06/thoughts-on-designing-the-next-generation-of-social-websites-part-i/

Comment from Chris Rijnders on 2007-09-06

2007-09-07T01:16:47Z

I think also how we interact with the internet will change.
Think of flexible OLED touch-screens, new visualisation technologies which present data in a new way, etc.
I mean, why not interact directly with internet like now possible with for example the iPhone?

Comment from Derek on 2007-09-06

2007-09-07T06:34:33Z

I think you overlooked microblogging. Its not just for teenagers, its for teams. Its also where publishing (blogging) and communications (email, IM, phone, SMS) collide in a meaningful way.

Comment from hillary hartley on 2007-09-07

2007-09-07T19:02:09Z

This is a well-written summary of all 10 technologies and trends. However, like others have said, these things are happening NOW. I can't even imagine what will be happening in 10 years.

Think about how much things have changed in the last ten years. Now think about how much things have changed in the last five...or how about TWO years!

A good number of people have already given up on premium cable or satellite in favor of downloading their favorite shows. The iPhone has changed the mobile game forever. Rich Internet Apps are here to stay -- especially with Microsoft getting in the game with Silverlight.

I think you're right to say that the "true promise" of these technologies has yet to be fulfilled; and perhaps we are, indeed, "a few years" out. But TEN? No way.

Comment from Yihong Ding on 2007-09-07

2007-09-07T23:26:54Z

This is a well-written summary. Based on these 10 trends, I present a blend of these TEN. Though these discussed trends by their names are possibly short-term predictions, this blend of the 10 trends actually represents a certain future about a much longer period. I hope you might also enjoy this blend.

-- Yihong

Comment from n-blue on 2007-09-07

2007-09-08T01:30:59Z

How iGoogle lead into the top of "Personalization"? iGoogle is just "me too" service from big name. Shame.

Comment from Brian on 2007-09-07

2007-09-08T05:25:06Z

11. Lolrons!

Comment from Venkat on 2007-09-08

2007-09-08T15:56:07Z

Very good summary, but a little bit uncritical about the framings. The SemWeb starts to look like Moby Dick because insiders present it as a monolithic all/nothing development. Yes there are some fundamental pieces that may need to be all or nothing, like certain standards, but a great deal can be achieved in bits and pieces, via gradual transformation.

Also, you've used the terms that are in common usage to talk about the trends. I've been developing a feeling for a long time that some refactoring is necessary to highlight the true dynamics.

Comment from Jesus Salgado on 2007-09-09

2007-09-09T08:32:20Z

Taking into account the number of comments and additions to this list, a wiki space could be opened on this topic as a more structured platform in which everybody could add/discuss their view on what is coming next on the web.

Thanks,
Jesus

Comment from Abercat on 2007-09-09

2007-09-09T09:08:47Z

IPTV as in http://www.freetube.us.tc using communication and interactivity with television?

Comment from Derek Peterson on 2007-09-09

2007-09-10T02:47:29Z

Good work. All of these future web trends will increase and change how we look at education. Education in the future will be drastically impacted. As I was working on my doctorate in education I realized this and switched my doctorate focus back to computer science...recognizing the impacts these changes will have on the future of education.

Comment from Luke Humble on 2007-09-10

2007-09-10T09:25:27Z

This is a fantastic post and l can see a lot of thought has gone into this.
One particular area l think will develop even further is the mobile market. You words on how it will provide location based services is definitely they way things are going now but l think that this will not be the end. Mobile devices will be used to not only interact with each other though what ever medium is available but also communicate with our environment such as purchasing a can of Coke from a vending machine or unlocking our car. It is will be a universal device that will never leave our person. How many times have you heard someone say "what did we do before mobiles phones".
Couple this with personalisation which l agree will become massive as the internet now is not as personal as it once was. The world is expanding and we are getting lost in it and this is the sole reason for the need for personalisation and social networking.

All in all it is a great post, very informative and a "one to watch" over the next decade!

Comment from Salem Amazit on 2007-09-10

2007-09-10T19:24:53Z

Maybe the near future trend that will permit to emphasize those 10 trends will be the ease of use of the Internet.

Nowadays not so many people understand and use RSS, Second Life or even websites like Netvibes.

The mass is to come, we need to switch from geeks and early adopters, to conventional people. When all those people will realize and use all those tools, then we will have a tremendous demand for the Internet on smart devices and a new generation of the Web will begin to rise.

I think this will occur by 2010.

Let's see!

Comment from Edek on 2007-09-10

2007-09-11T06:18:09Z

Have you heard about www.video.monigo.com? What do you think about AI recommendation system, does it works?

Comment from Sourav on 2007-09-11

2007-09-11T14:12:04Z

Great post....

Comment from mike on 2007-09-11

2007-09-12T00:14:45Z

dead: WHEN U R READING THIS DONT STOP OR SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN MY NAME IS SUMMER I AM 15 YEARS OLD i have BLONDE HAIR , SCARS no NOSE OR EARS I AM DEAD IF U DONT COPY THIS JUS LIKE FROM THE RING COPY N POST THIS ON 5 MORE SITES OR I WILL APPEAR ONE CREEPY NIGHT WEN UR NOT EXPECTING IT BY YOUR BED WITH A NIFE AND KILL U THIS IS NO JOKE SUMMET ING GOOD WILL HAPPEN TO U IF YOU POST THIS ON 5 MORE SITES

Comment from zeroriskdotws on 2007-09-11

2007-09-12T06:40:07Z

I dont know if this has been mentioned regarding Personalization, but I expect we will see growing use of video email and communication.

Comment from Jack on 2007-09-14

2007-09-14T19:36:23Z

Maybe the last words:

I'm curious why all of you bloggers are so consumed with consumer commercialism and not the enterprise?

Its highly doubtful that core business processes would be enhanced by what you've said the next wave will be. Sure, the semantic web and a very limited amount of that is being done now.

I do think you captured a great deal here with respect to trends; however, 10 years out? How about 3 - 4 for most of it. You didn't mention basic device pervasiveness; which I believe many are saying still is the last mile. My recommendations to readers:

Tender all of what you see on the public web with enterprise practicalities, those who are seldomly connected, and limited device pervasiveness (the phone doesn't do everything...). Season it with a little info overload (for the knowledge worker even), and try baking it when you don't have electricity due to scarcity of resources in 10 years. Guess its going to be a solar oven!

Try to remember that there are aerospace manufacturers who can't standardize on simple torque values, large contract cleaning firms who have discovered that they haven't renewed contracts with their largest clients for fifteen years (the customer just kept writing checks), thousands of municipalities who have not put up tax parcels on GIS sytems, thousands of small businesses who can't afford GPSs for their drivers, letalone software to develop websites, more than 0.25M self-employed people who do not and have not filed taxes, and whole countries that almost fully operate on a cash basis. This is not meant to say that there is doom and gloom on the tech front; however, the consumer web isn't "all."

Comment from Luo Qian on 2007-09-15

2007-09-15T16:01:33Z

Semantic Web, AI, mobile computing, Grid computing and so on are all the tools for people to well get what they want. That is what we call the service. In the future, the internet will be like a plug when we put on it, we can get the electircity regardless where the electircity comes from.

Comment from xthomas on 2007-09-19

2007-09-19T14:37:24Z

Very great Post !
According to meet and according to others comments, it miss "Social Network" among the trends.

Comment from Jacqueline on 2007-09-19

2007-09-19T20:54:24Z

I'm very impressed by all the thoughts and insights that went into this post. A lot of topics that I've been thinking about in regard to the future of my industry (I'm a journalist) have been touched upon.

To expand a little on the themes of personalization and mobility, I think that local and hyperlocal content/news systems are going to blow up in the not-so-distant future; based on the whole citizen journalism trend (and things like iphones, twitter, and devices/apps that haven't even been invented yet will make it possible for people to post breaking news literally as it happens).

Besides the whole obvious niche-interest category of website/app/social network, I have an inkling that we're going to see people building internet communities based on their actual geographic or regional area. Granted, just because people live in the same area doesn't necessarily mean they are similiar, but the mere fact that they live in close proximity is grounds for some major, well, common ground.

For instance, a quality mobile delivery system for up-to-the-minute information on things like local weather, traffic, and other breaking news is definitely necessary (yes, there is radio, but that's not really convenient or efficient). Also, sites or services with local politics, sports, or other hyper-nichey concerns that allow people to build community based upon their location in this increasingly disconnected world (you can argue that while technology is bringing us closer together mentally, it is driving us further apart physically).

Now that I've gone on for a bit, I might as well provide something useful to people working on projects related to things discussed in this article and my comment - the Knight News Challenge is a contest that awards funding (up to $5 million this year) to entrants with innovative ideas that involve digital technology and the delivery of news and information to a geographically defined area. Anyone from around the world can enter (they even have a seperate category for those under 25.

Here is the contest website: http://newschallenge.org