Comment 10 years ago was 1994 (Score 2, Funny) 459
Think back to 10 years ago.. that's right 1994. AOL was still popular, the world wide web & ecommerce began to explode, the imminent release Windows 95 was all over the news, a 15" computer LCD screen cost more than $3000, Clinton was a first-term president, Monicagate & 9/11 haven't happened. No integrated home living systems, electric cars, fusion power, artificial intelligence, voice recognition, or anything else that was promised to me in 'Beyond 2000' has happened.
How about learning from the past? My predictions for the next 10 years (I'm just a tech (MIT) student, not some fancy dancy science fiction writer):
++ Linux and Windows do not exist. As its desktop share plummets because of both increasing institutional adoption of Linux and persistent security issues (Longhorn looked like swiss cheese), Microsoft calls in its cards with its copyright and patent portfolio that Linux "infringes" upon. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug 2004/tc20040813_1107_tc120.htm
The resulting litigation destabilizes the Linux migration. The open source community heeds the call to arms and rallies behind Torvalds and leads the development of a UNIX-, patent-, and copyright-free kernel. The new OS fills the void and all the people in the land are happy. Except when Microsoft lays off 25,000 programmers to refocus on office productivity and software development products.
++ Oil and Gas shortage because of continuing\spreading unrest in the middle east pummels global economy. Rather than investigating alternatives or renewables, vested interests ensure that countries revert to dirty methods like coal and new processes to extract vast tar oil reserves.
++ Integrated wireless-PDA, streaming audio-video iPod, VoIP cell phone are commonplace using HyperHiWiMaxExtreme4 Platinum Edition redux alpha.
++ Duke Nukem Forever and Team Fortress 2 are expected to go gold "sometime in fall." Quake 4 supports 6400x3600 resolution for the new 40" OLED Mac display.
++ James Webb Space Telescope 0w|\|3z Hubble. In conjunction with Terrestrial Planet Finder, scientists begin to resolve images of extrasolar planets.
++ Scaled Composites begins to offer weightless 30-minute, sub-orbital trips for $25,000.
++ ebooks still not popular. Something to do with people who stare at a computer screens all day don't like to relax by staring at computer screens.
++ George Lucas cashes in chips and has Wachowski brothers write Star Wars VII, VIII, and IX. Together, they cost $1 billion to produce.
++ Body odor remains an issue for programmers. Dweebs still have trouble with women.
How about learning from the past? My predictions for the next 10 years (I'm just a tech (MIT) student, not some fancy dancy science fiction writer):
++ Linux and Windows do not exist. As its desktop share plummets because of both increasing institutional adoption of Linux and persistent security issues (Longhorn looked like swiss cheese), Microsoft calls in its cards with its copyright and patent portfolio that Linux "infringes" upon. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/au
++ Oil and Gas shortage because of continuing\spreading unrest in the middle east pummels global economy. Rather than investigating alternatives or renewables, vested interests ensure that countries revert to dirty methods like coal and new processes to extract vast tar oil reserves.
++ Integrated wireless-PDA, streaming audio-video iPod, VoIP cell phone are commonplace using HyperHiWiMaxExtreme4 Platinum Edition redux alpha.
++ Duke Nukem Forever and Team Fortress 2 are expected to go gold "sometime in fall." Quake 4 supports 6400x3600 resolution for the new 40" OLED Mac display.
++ James Webb Space Telescope 0w|\|3z Hubble. In conjunction with Terrestrial Planet Finder, scientists begin to resolve images of extrasolar planets.
++ Scaled Composites begins to offer weightless 30-minute, sub-orbital trips for $25,000.
++ ebooks still not popular. Something to do with people who stare at a computer screens all day don't like to relax by staring at computer screens.
++ George Lucas cashes in chips and has Wachowski brothers write Star Wars VII, VIII, and IX. Together, they cost $1 billion to produce.
++ Body odor remains an issue for programmers. Dweebs still have trouble with women.
