In all the discussions revolving around search, social networking, knowledge management, I always ask the question of what does the internet really provide. What makes us log on to a site, or send an email, or im a friend...
I think there are a few things that we seek.
1.) Communication
2.) Knowledge
3.) Transactions
Today, you can use search to find information, sign up for rss feeds to have news pushed to you, or log into a social network site of your choice to learn from others. But as i watch my kids learn, I see differences b/w the natural systems with our electronic systems.
My kids learn by observations, mimicry, trial and error, practice, and finally, by focusing on things that are interesting and fun.
I think it translates into this, they experience with all of their senses, then they interact with all of their senses.
Our systems today, are an interaction through a box that you sit in front of. You interact with a keyboard and a mouse, a very limited interaction, and you only sense through a small screen, you have limited view of what is going on around you, and you are limited to sight and to an extent sounds.
How does that need to change? There are a lot of loosely coupled technologies that are focused on experience.
1.) Surface
2.) iPhone
3.) Second Life
4.) Nintendo Wii
These new technologies are changing the way a user interacts with traditional PC/internet tools. They allow you to experience a web site, or experience a transaction, or play a game, or meet with your friends. And these new ways of interacting are being met with huge demand.
It comes down to the user experience. That brings me back to my kids. What is their experience going to be five years from now, ten years from now, and then 20 years from now. It is not going to be keyboard/mouse/monitor driven, it will not be logging on to a website and puching in the site url, and it will not be email threads that have to be managed and searched for.
It will be a complete experience, one that lets them interact fully with their tools. When they want to learn what is going on in the world, it will be part of their waking up experience in a seamless fashion, when they want to know what is on the agenda for the day, it will not be reviewing their PDA or checking their project plans, it needs to be complete live, and video, sound, and tactile experience.
Here are some examples of what will be possible soon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhMVNdplJc
http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/26/technology/futureoftech_kirkpatrick.fortune/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/26/magazines/fortune/futureoftech_quantum.fortune/index.htm
I can't wait for this reality to arrive.
