The future of the Internet

Seriously? Let me peer into my crystal ball and see what it says.

Of course, we will see the data transfer rates going up rather tremendously. But just what does that mean for the end user other than faster Internet surfing or downloading? With a larger bandwidth, real time communication becomes more real time with less skippy communications and better quality. Of course with this improvements in the telecommunications infrastructure, not only would home users benefit but those with 3G capable phones are able to enjoy these faster surfing speeds as well.

Honestly, I am at a lost about what to write about the future. The possibilities are so wide that I cannot even begin to comprehend them.

Social Networking

They say with the invention of the wide bodied passenger aircraft, the world has become a smaller place. Surely, the man who said this wasn’t counting on the emergence of the Internet.

Although one cannot achieve face to face communication for this to be really true, the internet has enabled people from all around the congregate at a virtual place and interact with one another, without any borders and boundaries. Of course, this is not a new concept. Electronic BBSs have been around since the late eighties, letting people communicate with others in a near real time fashion. As high speed internet started making its way to the man on the street, more and more kinds of social networking software and websites began to sprout up on the Internet.

mIRC, ICQ, MSN Messenger and Skype are all very good examples for networking software that have changed the landscape of the Internet since their inception.

mIRC was the first software that allowed people all over the world to talk to each other in chat rooms. The biggest draw was the fact that it used simple text and not fancy file types that would cause the user’s connection to slow down. ICQ was considered to be the first widely-used instant messenging program. Like IRC, it used text as well but what made it so different was the fact that one could add others onto contact lists and maintain contact at all times.

Microsoft’s own Messenger took IM to a whole new level in terms of market penetration, using their near monopoly in the operating system and browser sectors to help spread the use of their programme. Lastly, Skype is perhaps one of the revolutionary social netwokring programs. No longer would people be limited to using only text to communicate over the Internet or skippy video conferencing. Thanks to high speed Internet, real time voice communication was now possible. As the technology continues to be refined, one can expect Skype and VOIP to replace land lines in the new future.

Journalism and the Internet

Perhaps one of the many problems faced by many today is the deluge of news found on the Internet. News can come from any source, from the website of a newspaper with a two hundred year old history to a twelve year old boy living in Mongolia. Sure, some may claim that news should come from a wide range of sources but therein lies the problem. Who should be trusted and who should not be trusted?

I myself run a rather successful anime blog with several other friends, with many of my readers relying on us for news. We are considered by many to be rather credible. However, we do make one thing clear amongst ourselves. We do not post news that would create unrest or dissent from our readers, nor do we post news that cannot be verified. This is something many bloggers who are starting out forget. In order to make a name for themselves, they try to create some sort of sensational news, be it true or not, in an attempt to become famous.

With blogs have come the emergence of a new term, citizen journalism.  Blogs have enabled the everyday citizen to become their own reporter, without any restrictions. Many of them have succeeded, yes, like Mr Brown. However, a few bad eggs have sprouted up. The worst example of this is STOMP, something that should not exist in the first place. Sure, there are things that are nice. But most of things that come out , let me be frank, is utter crap. Like asking why a MINDEF staff car belonging to an officer is parked below his, asked by a supposed person who has finished NS. There is so much more I can name.

I am of the opinion, that even with a free press and speech, the role of the media is help the keep and stabilize social order, not to turn on it’s head, and things that appear on a news site should at least newsworthy.  And trying to exert your control over a community who does not give a damn who you are is a big no no.

Politics and the Internet

As with cybercrime, the Internet has given politcs a new medium from which to propogate from. A tech-savvy politician is almost garunteed a larger viewership if he or she makes use of the medium.

I guess most of us now by know how Barack Obama and his campaign’s use of  Internet to drive him towards the Democrat candicacy and ultimately, the Presidency of the United States of America.

Throughout the campaign, Obama has made use of social media to make himself known to the American people and the world. A Youtube channel for his campaign was specifcally set up to stream videos of his many speeches and TV advertisements, allowing those who were unable to catch them on broadcast television, at any time of the day and any part of the world. An elaborate website has setup to let him communicate with his many supporters as well. Views and opinions were garnered from peoples of all walks of life and blogs could be set up on his website to advocate support of Obama. He made use of Twitter to allow people to keep track of his campaign on the move, as well as setting up a Facebook account. Perhaps on one of his biggest coups in my opinion would be the announcement of his Vice President incumbent, Joe Bidan, over an SMS message and the usage of his first name to do so.

But what does all this mean for Obama? It sets him apart from his opponents in that by usage of the Internet, he is shown to be a President who is up date with the latest technology. He also gives the impression that he does make use of the Internet to keep up to date with what is happening all around the world. Obama also perhaps make use of the Internet to keep track of public opinion not just in America but all around the world as well. This gives him a rough idea of what exactly is it like out there and not something that is handed to him after being whitewashed.

Cybercrime

As the communication medium that has had the fastest penetration rate since it’s inception, it is no surprise that a few scrupulous individuals would take advantage of this to further their own means.

The first virus can be traced back to the early days of ARPAnet when a experimental self-replicating program was written to test if a program could be spread by itself. But before the days the Internet grew widespread, virus were usually contained on bootleg or shareware programs, usually on floppy discs or tapes. Now as more and more computers were connected via a telephone line, viruses now had a new to spread themselves. Most programs usually hitch on illegal programs or are hidden in the codes of cookies. Without a proper anti-Virus program like Mac Affee or Norton, it is not difficult for even a casual user of the Internet to easily infected. Most programmers create these malicious programs just because they can and for no other reason. They get no monetary rewards  other a perverse sense of satisfaction.

Of course, with computers being connected together, it is not common for people to actually see what others doing. These hackers, as they are called, take the time out to try and acccess another person’s computer for personal, private information which can be exploited. Some common methods include key logger programs which tracks what a person types on a certain website, like a person accessing their bank account over the Internet or logging in to a forum. These programs are usually dumped onto a person’s computer by being sneaked through or being left on computers in Internet cafes.

A fool is born is every minute, as the saying goes. People are always lured by easy money and fear is easily struck when money is involved. I am  sure most of us have received e-mails from a Nigerian claiming to be the relative of some late dictator and that they have recently have come to possess a large sum of money. They are unable to get the money out of the country and need your help to do so. They need your bank account  details to bounce the money to some other country and for your trouble, they will leave a small token. Giving any details other than your bank accoount number and branch number is a big no-no. God knows whatever they will do with the money inside, be the amount big or small.

Cybercrime will always be a problem as long as the Internet exsists. Perhaps the easiest way of preventing such things from occuring to you and those around you is to be aware of such trickery and not be fooled by them. A good anti-virus software and firewall is always a good idea to have at all times.

Microsoft Surface

The Surface is one of Microsoft’s latest innovations for the home, workplace and entertainment centres. By using a large LCD monitor placed on it’s back and the use of motion sensor technology, users can use their hands to interact with no just the monitor but also use whatever that can be recognised by the sensors with it.

For example, with the application of a magnetic field, instead of having to pass their credit card over the to the waiter and have him or her swipe at a card machine, all that needs to be done is to place the card on the Surface and the card can be read and the amount credited immediately, no fuss no muss. What makes the Surface also stand apart from conventional touch screen devices are that the whole touch sensation need not be so simple as to be just used for movement. The Surface can also detect gestures that are made by the hand with the proper software and this can be translated into pictures or words on the display surface. Another thing that makes it stand out from other devices are the fact that it is not limited to one user at a time but many people can be interacting with the surface at the same time. This allows the Surface to be used for rather fun party applications.

How I would implement the Surface in my own establishment is to use as a dining table for guests, after installing a tough enough cover over it, of course. In fact, it need not be used just in a dining room but in the waiting area as well. The Surface can be used to make orders for the food that the patrons wish to have and while they are waiting, they can choose whatever light entertainment they wish to have. By changing the display on the Surface, guests can customise the dining experience that they wish to have, like changing the colour of the ‘tablecloth’ or the light that the Surface produces.

The Surface need not be used plainly for these purposes. In the near future, the Surface can be used for industrial applications as well, replacing traditional touchscreen displays for a better experience for the workers.

Google Analytics

One Google tool I am purticularly fond of is Google Analytics. By inserting a code into the site’s code, this simple tool allows me to track traffic to my site but what it does in detail is of purticular use.

First of is the Visits chart. It gives me a visual representation of my site’s hits over a period of time that can be changed. I can track the interest that my site has generated and how it changes as I post different articles. More important I think would be the Visitors chart. It is one thing to generate many hit but when it is the same person reading many articles, it means that word about the site is not getting out. This is related to the Visitor Loyalty percentage. It is important to retain a core readership that one can rely on.

Analytics also tracks technology. It can tell me what kind of brower, monitor resolution and internet connection my visitors are using. This lets me optimize the site according what seems to the majority. The Map Overlay gives a representation of where the readers are coming from. Some bloggers may be only targeting a specific country and region and this helps to know if this audience is being attracted.  This tracks any country as long as it has an Internet connection, going down to individual towns and counties. It even tracks to places like the South Pole!

Traffic Sources tells me how much of where my readership is being directed from, be it direct, referred or from search engines. By having a large direct traffic count, I can be assured that people check my site on a regular basis by bookmarks or RSS, rather than waiting for new posts to turn up on a blog aggregator. But the most important feature for me is Content Overview. This tracks the amount of hits that each of my articles get over a period of time. By knowing this, I know what is popular with readers and what isn’t. This allows to adjust my content to suit what my readers like.

Social Media and Me

I’ll be frank. I was never really into social media up until six months ago. For years, I have been reading blogs all about anime and manga. That’s all I have been doing, never taking part in the discussion. Sure, I have a friend or two who were relatively prominent bloggers in the anime blogger community. Then it all changed.

Back in September 2008, my good friend, Bjorn Tan, decided that instead of using his own blog, he would set up a team blog that would talk about a new multitude of subject, rather than focusing on a single subject. He roped in people from within our circle of friends to do the writing. This blog became known as nk-ds.org. When we first started out, people were skeptical. Here was a big shot leading a group of unknowns, how far would they go? The site continued to attract hits, mainly due to Bjorn’s advertising and contact.

Then about a month into the site, we received an e-mail from the organisers of Anime Festival Asia. We were invited to their offices to participate in their event’s website launch. After the introductions, the organisers informed us that they would to use our blogs as information platforms for the event. Needless to say, we were shocked. Hoping to gain some exposure, we signed on with the plan. In return, we were given special media accessto their event.

I learned first hand how powerful social media can be when it comes to the promotion of a certain event or product. Because of new technology like RSS, information can be spread around communities at incredible speeds, sometimes even seconds after a post is made. The buzz generated as a result of the posts made could be tremendous. Our site once got a thousand hits in a single day.

Our site has now been recognized as one of the more prominent anime and manga blogs on the Internet, touching from various topics like motorsports and current affairs.

However, I find myself not really into social networking sites like Friendster or Facebook. They claim that one is able to make more friends through these sites. However, most of time, people do not meet these new friends and still stick to those whom they already know face to face.

So on social media, I am divided.

How far has the Internet come for me?

Let us go back fifteen years on a Saturday evening. My father had just bought a US Robotics 33.6k dialup modem and a subscription to Pacific Internet’s 50 megabyte a month plan. As he installed  the modem, I was in a world of my own. For months, I had been reading in the Computers Times about this new magical thing called the Internet, of the unlimited possibilities that it held. Now, in front me, was the opportunity  to see exactly what was all this hubaloo all about. When the modem had finally connected to PacNet’s server, I saw the screen slowly loading with static images and text, all leading to various sub-pages, all offering different information. All one could do with it was just to surf and find things.

Now let us fast forward to the year 2009, here I am sitting in a MacDonalds’, typing out this post on a laptop, connected to the Internet via Wireless@SG. Since the first time I used the Internet, how I use it has changed so tremendously. Initially, it was just a passive relationship with it, just using it to look at things. As the years went by and people started coming up with new uses, things began to change to a move active relationship.

For example, in the past week, I have used the Internet to conclude a trade with a person in the United States over a scale modeling forum, within a day of first contact. Back then, there was no channel for such a thing to happen. But now, with the concept of online forums, interaction with other people of similar interest is now so much more easier. One can find like minded people from all around the world so easily now, making the Internet into a social tool as well.

Maintaining contact with people has also been made much easier. With programs like MSN Messenger and Skype, one need not rely on snail mail or the telephone to keep in contact with another person, be it using text or voice.

Another thing that I think has come very far is the sharing of media. Because of the limitations of bandwidth, the best anyone could have sent out over the Internet was just simple text. With the advent of broadband internet, one can now just download a video file in a matter of minutes, depending on it’s size.

Popular Culture Export

In the old days, many people used to associate the term of exports with commodities like steel, oil or manufactured goods. But in recent few decades, there is rise of a new sort export. That export is a country’s culture and none have been as big as recent years as Japanese anime.

With the rise of the Internet, more and more people are exposed to anime. As children, many of the current generation of anime viewers saw their anime on the television screen, be it Neon Genesis Evangelion or Gundam Wing. This generation was also the same generation that experienced first hand the birth of the Internet as a mass media.

Neon Genesis Evangelion Opening

Gundam Wing Opening

Back in their home countries, many of these fans in this point, thanks to licensing companies, enjoy the import of certain popular series like Love Hina, on both print and video form. Many of these fans were content with they had but it was not until 2002 when Bandai announced the latest series in the hugely popular Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED, before anime really took off outside of Japan, thanks to a new Internet distribution technology know as bit torrent.

Gundam SEED Opening

Since then the growth of Japanese culture has grown quite tremendously around the world. Across the United States, anime conventions are held quite often around the country, the biggest Anime Expo (AX) in Los Angeles. So important is AX to the Japanese market, that companies send over their biggest and brightest stars to promote their wares. To promote the US release of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Bandai Visual collaborated with Kadokawa to invite over the three main female voice actresses, Aya Hirano, Yuko Goto and Minori Chihara, to hold a panel and perform the signature dance from the show’s ending theme, Hare Hare Yukai, at last year’s event. Another notable attendee to the event was Momoi Haruko, a big music star amongst anime Otaku in Japan.

Hare Hare Yukai full dance edition

Momoi Halko’s performance at AX (filmed without the organiser’s knowledge )

 

Another notable indicator is the rise of cosplaying. Cosplay (short for costume play) is the simple act of dressing as an character from popluar media. Cosplay is by not any means a Japanese invention. But the fact that many fans are starting to move into this sub-culture is an indicator of the anime culture’s diffusion. Cosplay events are mostly held concurrently with anime conventions. Right here in Singapore, there are two major cosplay events every year, Cosfest in July and EOY in December. Cosplayers choose to make their own costumes or rarely, buy from official licensed manufacturer’s like Cospa. Popular cosplay subjects that are cosplayed are characters from popular shows and games like Bleach, Final Fantasy VII and Gundam SEED. However, cosplaying is not limited to Japanese subjects. Commonly seen cosplays in Singapore include Star Wars, Star Trek and military subjects.

 

C.C from Code Geass

Tifa from Final Fantasy VII (Advent Children version)

Suigintou from Rozen Maiden

Various Star Wars Imperial charactes