26 May 2009
A Possible City-Future
I’m going to combine two ideas here: that of cloud computing and that of wireless networks. In a lot of ways they depend on each other: cloud computing is certainly enhanced by wireless, and wireless has really come into its full through cloud computing. I feel that this combination is an important step in both technical progress and also the acclimatization of culture into this mindset of information and connectivity. However, I don’t believe our course will continue in this way.
I believe that in cities, where there are many people with personal devices, we will construct our own networks. Personal devices - laptops, desktops, phones, tablets, etc - can already connect without the help of the larger network. True, it’s an ability which is talked down and covered up by the larger networks, but it exists. We will start to construct our own networks. Devices are fast approaching the storage and processing capabilities to hold all of your personal information (and you can still collaborate via the network), so off-site storage will soon be unnecessary. What is to prevent the hackers, the makers from further developing and propagating city-wide stand-alone networks?
I do not believe this will replace connection points to wireless provided by larger corporations, at least not for quite some time. We are connected to each other regardless of geography, and this is not a situation I would like to see change. However, relying on those around you to connect to people would provide both a sense of geographical community (not to trump worldwide community, but only as another form of human interaction) as well as an independence from corporate-granted access to information.
