Bloomin' Independents
Fifty years from now, I'll be just about 100 years old. As things go, I should have a grandchild or two, a couple of dogs, and be living in splendid senior-hood with my hubby.
Fifty years from now will I still be sitting at my computer (in a wheelchair, maybe?), doing the same things that I'm doing now? Creating "web sets" and graphics for the masses, stopping occasionally to add my thoughts to my online journal?
It's beyond my imagination and ability, to really know what I'll be doing 50 years from now -- if I'm even alive -- let alone predict what the Internet will be like.
Let's travel forward about 10 years. Ten years from now, what will the World Wide Web be like? I can't speak intelligently about the technical side of things, since I'm more of a "right-brained" thinker, but I believe the creative side of the web will remain. In fact, I think it will grow.
People will want more on the web than one big search engine, or an email program. They'll want to be entertained and calmed and soothed. Although many of us experience a sort of nirvana now when we're creating and communicating on the web, I don't believe that the general public at-large has realized the full potential of the Internet, and the beauty that is out there to be viewed by everyone, for free!
Pop-up and -under advertising windows will be outlawed. Since e-commerce will be the norm, and not looked upon as a way to make a fast buck on the web, we will have an option to turn all advertising off, or at least set a preference on our computers to exclude such sites from our browsing. There will be a .art top-level domain extension, as well as .med, .sex, and any number of other descriptive acronyms for various types of websites.
The independent web community will thrive as more and more people become comfortable with their computers and the Internet. Everyone will have a computer. With the advertising option turned off, more of these sites will come to the forefront for all to see, and will nurture and invite others to do the same. We will bloom! As weeds to a flower, the independent producer will grow and infiltrate the Internet with real content, and stories, and pretty pictures. We'll all be one big family and have parties and collaborations and discussions. (Sound a little familiar?)
Many of us do those exact things now! But in numbers, we are just a few, compared to the web users around the world. My wish, and my vision, is that those numbers soar! That the independent web community outnumbers all the rest! That everyone is aware of the wonder of the web, and how beautiful of an experience it really is. To meet and talk to people everywhere -- to share and reach out and help our neighbors -- one big community of people. That's why I love the web. It has become a big part of my social life. Some may think that's not much of a social life, but if you lived on the web as much as I do, and experienced some of the same things that I have, you might think differently.
In my five years on the web, creating art and graphics for others to enjoy, I have met hundreds of people, from all over the world. I've talked with a mom and her 19-year-old daughter when she was dying of cancer, and consoled mom after Nicole died. I've received emails from young women, who felt as though they had no hope for their future until they visited my site and were inspired by my words, and began to feel hopeful again. I've cried and laughed and shared some of my deepest feelings on the web -- with strangers. Except they weren't strangers anymore, because we connected on the web. That's what I love about it.
It's all out there now, for anyone to experience. I don't think it will change that much in 10 years. The only change that I hope for is that more people become aware of it, and seek out the good and the giving part of the web.
I'll be here -- and I'll keep doing what I'm doing -- at least 10 years from now.
Not too sure about the 50-year mark though!
