Description:
Through its immense multi-functionality and popular usage, there is little chance that the internet will be fully replaced leading up to the year 2025; instead it is likely to become more integrated into other communication, and technological devices. Since its conception, the Google Corporation has taken excessive measures to monitor and become involved with growing social phenomenons through purchasing popular websites including Blogger and YouTube. As people become more drawn in with technology and share their individuality with the rest of the world through portals such as Facebook, MSN, and Twitter, they lose a certain amount of security; their identity becoming more widespread. This trend will escalate, until it surfaces into a new medium that will work behind the scenes to track all web users; the internet will transition into a more sinister technology known as Google-Brother.
A particular video entitled “Epic 2014” shared during the first week of Tech 114 detailed a purposed timeline of events that would see Google’s purchases escalate until eventually it become a information medium that phased out traditional news sources. Upon observing Google’s more recent transactions since the creation of this video, rumours of future projects in development, as well as the escalation in usage of social networking sites, it may be possible for Google to go well beyond controlling just the news industry.
Development:
Google’s attempt to take command of the internet will begin with the emergence of the “Googlenet.” This purposed system will work to compete against the largest internet service providers to distribute Wi-Fi access to all citizens. Essentially Google, “the gatekeeper of the world’s information, [would emerge as] one of the globe’s biggest Internet providers and one of its most powerful ad sellers, basically supplanting telecoms” (Malik, 2005). This new system would have a tremendous effect on users, as Google would be able to track individuals and target them with specific advertisements at any given time. The plausibility of this advancement is considerable due to the fact that Google has already begun testing free Wi-Fi service in San Francisco with the intent of testing its cost effectiveness in regards to advertising and possibly its ability to work for a larger audience. Once everyone is connected through Google, the company will have considerable power in terms of manipulating users, further channelled through its respective online outlets.
Looking at its past behaviour, it is likely that another foreseeable milestone Google will achieve in the coming years is the purchase of Twitter. This increasingly popular service “has emerged as the custodian of a valuable online index of real-time facts, comments, musings and announcements, information that is clearly valuable for Google’s search engine index” (Perez, 2009). Through the continual acquisition of products such as Twitter, Google will expand its ability to reach and track internet users. Essentially the company, using its respective properties such as YouTube and the foreseeable acquisition of Twitter would be able to piece together the personalities of its respective users. Eventually everyone would be tracked and monitored and Google would be free to openly attack people with unlimited advertisements and propaganda to its content.
Rationale:
Through all of the advancements leading up to its creation, the internet’s growth does not easily compare in regards to its predecessors. Each year the World Wide Web expands and grows with new trends and social changes continuously popping up on the horizon. Hence this is similar to the growth of the printing press which was first invented by Gutenberg but was later improved in the 19th century to incorporate steam power. As new technology becomes evident there is an increasing demand amongst consumers; in recent times, the prominence of printed newspapers has significantly diminished due to the growing reliance towards online news sources. Google, witnessing these changes, as worked to capture the core foundations of social changes to maintain its presence and spread its influence further amongst users.
Reflecting upon Google’s past expeditions it is easy to construct a timeline similar to that of Epic 2014 which would utilize the acquisition of new firms to further channel Google’s domination and self interest. Google certainly has demonstrated that it is financially successful and influential enough to carry out not only it’s purchasing of new assets but also in implementing a wide spread Wi-Fi network. Regardless of what the future brings, it is ultimately the users who will determine the outcome, if Google is intuitive enough to continue holding a solid grasp on their audience then there is little hope; Google will persist in its expansion, maintaining a powerful presence in the online world.
References:
Epic 2014. (2006). Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHBPuHS-7s
Malik, Om. (September 1, 2005). Free Wi-Fi? Get Ready for GoogleNet. Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2005/09/01/8356497/
Perez, Juan C. (April 3, 2009). Google Acquisition Rumors Reflect Twitter’s Importance. PC World Communications, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162586/google_acquisition_rumors_reflect_twitters_importance.html+google+buy+twitter&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca
