April 21, 2009 at 15:46Futurology Internet
There are probably different criteria by which the evolutionary stages of the Internet can be distinguished. For example, by the nature of user participation in the production of content (which was used in the ideology of Web 2.0). Here I want to simulate the development of the network by the criterion of (logical) connectivity of its total content, i.e. to what extent it is a coherent whole. It seems to me that this approach allows us to better understand the patterns of development, including changing the nature of user participation.
The average state shows the level reached to date, while individual things, in some form already implemented (even in the form of offline projects), show the future of the network. The average level at the moment is characterized by stage
1. - unsystematic disordered data warehouse. Finding information in such a repository is time-consuming and it becomes the primary function, because without the availability of the necessary information, it is impossible to operate with it; no further processes are possible. Apparently, this is the reason for the so dominant role of search engines in the modern Internet. The obvious next step is
2. - In a certain way, an ordered data warehouse is a kind of database . It greatly simplifies not only search, but also other important functions, for example, organizing information flows, generally organizing various types of network resources, and identifying the maximum amount of relevant audience.
Although the middle level is still at stage 1, there is a gradual movement to stage 2. The massive transition of users from passive consumerism to active participation in content production (Web 2.0) is likely to strengthen stage 1 rather than transforming the first into the second. The fathers of the Internet came up with a semantic web with the idea of metadata, which, if implemented fully, would mean the transition to stage 2 (at least in some form). However, so far I have not heard the idea of the active participation of mass users in the production of metadata. Not that such an idea is unique; rather, it’s a problem of a format in which such user activity could efficiently occur (I see a possible solution in the “ objects + connections ” model"). Without this, the transition from 1 to 2 will be long and probably not complete, because, as I understand it, the concept of the Semantic Web does not intend to provide any data with metadata . I propose to consider this last condition as a criterion by which it is possible to assess the degree of implementation of the next, third stage, when
3. content + meta-content = knowledge base , first as a tool more focused on human use, and then in an understanding close to modern expert systems, where logical inference machines operate on such bases. The problem is that expert systems are only effective in highly specialized fields today; the extension of the scope of their effectiveness to something as universal as the global knowledge base about everything is likely to be a criterion for the transition to the stage
4. - The Internet as an artificial intelligence , which, although it cannot take on the most creative functions of people, will nevertheless become a powerful tool for the development of human civilization. And what is development? - This is the disclosure of the internal potential of individuals and society as a whole. Then at first we will have a “virgin circle” - the Internet will contribute to the accelerated unfolding of human potential, and the latter, in turn, will improve the quality of artificial intelligence. At this fourth stage, a symbiosis of people and machines is formed, a kind of “matrix” :) But if you accept the esoteric doctrines that the potential of man and society is so great that it far exceeds the capabilities of artificial intelligence, even world-wide, then the final result will be stage
5. - care of people in "parallel worlds ”, in a“ different Internet ”, the entry of mankind into the“ energy-informational fields of the universe ”and all that :) :) And that Internet, which has been discussed so far, will cease to exist as a product of human activity that has fulfilled its role ...
The average state shows the level reached to date, while individual things, in some form already implemented (even in the form of offline projects), show the future of the network. The average level at the moment is characterized by stage
1. - unsystematic disordered data warehouse. Finding information in such a repository is time-consuming and it becomes the primary function, because without the availability of the necessary information, it is impossible to operate with it; no further processes are possible. Apparently, this is the reason for the so dominant role of search engines in the modern Internet. The obvious next step is
2. - In a certain way, an ordered data warehouse is a kind of database . It greatly simplifies not only search, but also other important functions, for example, organizing information flows, generally organizing various types of network resources, and identifying the maximum amount of relevant audience.
Although the middle level is still at stage 1, there is a gradual movement to stage 2. The massive transition of users from passive consumerism to active participation in content production (Web 2.0) is likely to strengthen stage 1 rather than transforming the first into the second. The fathers of the Internet came up with a semantic web with the idea of metadata, which, if implemented fully, would mean the transition to stage 2 (at least in some form). However, so far I have not heard the idea of the active participation of mass users in the production of metadata. Not that such an idea is unique; rather, it’s a problem of a format in which such user activity could efficiently occur (I see a possible solution in the “ objects + connections ” model"). Without this, the transition from 1 to 2 will be long and probably not complete, because, as I understand it, the concept of the Semantic Web does not intend to provide any data with metadata . I propose to consider this last condition as a criterion by which it is possible to assess the degree of implementation of the next, third stage, when
3. content + meta-content = knowledge base , first as a tool more focused on human use, and then in an understanding close to modern expert systems, where logical inference machines operate on such bases. The problem is that expert systems are only effective in highly specialized fields today; the extension of the scope of their effectiveness to something as universal as the global knowledge base about everything is likely to be a criterion for the transition to the stage
4. - The Internet as an artificial intelligence , which, although it cannot take on the most creative functions of people, will nevertheless become a powerful tool for the development of human civilization. And what is development? - This is the disclosure of the internal potential of individuals and society as a whole. Then at first we will have a “virgin circle” - the Internet will contribute to the accelerated unfolding of human potential, and the latter, in turn, will improve the quality of artificial intelligence. At this fourth stage, a symbiosis of people and machines is formed, a kind of “matrix” :) But if you accept the esoteric doctrines that the potential of man and society is so great that it far exceeds the capabilities of artificial intelligence, even world-wide, then the final result will be stage
5. - care of people in "parallel worlds ”, in a“ different Internet ”, the entry of mankind into the“ energy-informational fields of the universe ”and all that :) :) And that Internet, which has been discussed so far, will cease to exist as a product of human activity that has fulfilled its role ...