Death of the Internet

[Fergal]

I watched a couple of YouTube videos today, predicting that the Internet as we know it will end in the next few years. These theories predict that ISP's and major corporations will begin to charge for access the Internet in much the same way as you purchase a satellite package. I've posted a link to one of the videos below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFny2qQ9_Ak

My own personal opinion is that the people who release these videos are using them to attract visitors to their own sites. I don't think the Internet could be commercialised in this way. Although, to be honest I'm not fully convinced.

What do you think?

[Nazreen]

If you ask me, I think that there might be some truth in that video but I don't think that the internet will die. I find that the internet is just like a superhighway so I'll compare it with real roads. Before all roads were free just like the internet is now. With the building of new and better roads and the increase in the number of cars, governments all over the world introduced taxes to superhighways and also those roads going to central and business areas.

There's a good possibility that this might also happen to the internet and they will tax any access to websites that are very much in-demand but as what happened to real roads, real roads are still very much alive, aren't they?

[Fergal]

That's a good analogy and I hope you are right. I'm not sure how it would be managed. The owners of very large sites would not be pleased with the competitive disadvantage they would be put it, if the public had to pay to access their sites, but could access their smaller competitors free of charge?

[Zantetsken]

I can't see this happening, and I'm sure domain name providers and hosting companies would have something to say about it since this would pretty much crush their businesses. Not just them, but I'm sure the entire world would have something to say about it; especially the countries that strongly believe in freedom, such as the USA and Canada. I don't think this could possibly work without the support of the United States, and I doubt the States would just go ahead and give it that kind of support since they're democratic.

I could see this happening in a place like China, but not for the rest of the world. They were probably just trying to be controversial to get more listeners/visitors.


Not to mention huge sites like Google would be rendered useless by this. There would be too many people against this to make it work. There would still be companies that offer the same internet we get now; they would keep making money while the other companies would just lose customers.

[Nazreen]

There's now a malicious spam that is being spread and taking advantage of this subject. If you receive any emails with the subjects below and containing an attachment doc.pdf, don't open it.

Secret Plan To Kill Internet By 2012: Leaked?
PLAN TO KILL THE INTERNET BY 2012- Documented
2012: The year the Internet as we know it dies...
2012: The Year The Internet Ends

Read more on this from Symantec. (https://forums.symantec.com/syment/blog/article?blog.id=spam&message.id=109)

[Zantetsken]

This sounds like it's becoming the next "Year 2000 - end of the world!" hoax. I don't get why people come up with these false assumptions or why they spread them around... Most people have enough stress in their lives as is.

[Hurbel2k]

People love hoaxes, the normal live is so every-day-routine.

The internet will become more commercial, but it won't die. It just is an answer to a demand.

[DEADMAN]

I don't believe in such kind of fake subjects. Even I don't need to look videos or anything to say it may be true. Everything about this is fake and such news gets to travel very fast because they're waste of time whereas good news take time to reach to everybody's ears. So, listen them through one ear and throw them from next ear untill some great persons talk about it. :)

[Nazreen]

This video, in my opinion is not a fake but just a theory. Just like any theory, the conclusion that they predicted can either come true or not. The video is quite intriguing and that's the reason why it was viewed so many times and you know people.. people love intrigues. The video was even featured in CNN and news correspondents say that it was greatly exaggerated.

[CLSbrunette]

A lot of possibilities can happen, including the earth being surrounded by Martians. I can't say the Internet is going to stay forever this way. There will always be changes. An Internet crash can happen, like when people shifted from industrial revolution to technological revolution; but to say that this is for the detriment of everyone is a hoax. It might be for the good of the majority or it might be that there would come some technology better than the Internet we enjoy now.

[Evaak]

We can only hope for the good things to happen.

[-wataru-]

this kind of videos are only ways to get pageviews and advertising strategies, there might be some truth about this but of course lets hope for the best.

[deepak_sharma]

well these news comes once or twice in a year .Well i have even heard that earth is going to be destroyed by 2012 and after that i dont think talking about internet makes sense..:)

[worldbeing]

I think you are right by assuming they are just leading you their site, people love to gain attention through their conspiracy theories

[Zantetsken]

On another forum, someone actually posted a link to a page on the official Google website that talked about this issue. I felt a little bit concerned if even Google is taking it seriously, but I'm hoping that this is just a hoax or some business scheme that won't succeed.

[djschwab]

If it has us all talking about it, than it is an effective way to build interest in a topic. Whether or not there is any credibility to this story really doesn't matter.

[taki]

Ok, I'm going to give you the real deal on this Hoax.

There is a plan for some subscription based web sites in the works by 2012. Many of them will be in service by 2010 in my opinion. Almost all of these sites will be online versions of cable network stations such as Disney, HBO, etc. These cable stations are looking to branch out into what will become the new medium for entertainment distribution. These sites will be offering HD streaming content as it is being shown live, and likely have a library of previous content for viewers to watch at their leisure. You may see packages like the ones on cable and sat subscriptions, but I also see you being able to pick and choose what sites you want to subscribe to as well. For instance. I won't purchase a high end sat package now, but there are a few channels I would pay for if I could get them individually for a few dollars a month. This is what I see the subscription based package developing into.
These sites will be given preferential packet allocations because of the necessity of on time delivery demands from the consumer for a paid for entertainment service that is being streamed live. But the backbone of the internet can handle it. we have the bandwidth here in the USA to deliver 600 MBPS to every household upload and download and don't let any of these companies tell you otherwise. That backbone was laid by the government in the 60's and is not sitting in the ground called dark fiber.

[Fergal]

Thanks for the detailed description Taki. What you describe would appear to be a new service that will be available to online users. It does'nt appear to pose any threat to the way we use and access the Internet today?

[jigyasa]

I don't think any of this is going to happen. The world depends on the Internet so much, it can only be foreseen that Internet would become more popular and certainly not "charged" in the future.

[SandraVMG]

Internet has penetrated every aspect of life today. It is very difficult to imagine that this lifeline will cease to exist. But I also agree to the view projected by CLSbrunette that if something better comes up then internet may lose its charm .

[youbetcha1018]

I don't think that it is possible. Everyone needs an internet and many of us depends on the internet. I just can't imagine what will happen to every person who owns a business that depends on the internet? Every person who cannot go out to the mall to buy something but instead depends on the internet or e-shopping? Every student who depends on the internet for their research projects? Internet has something to do with our lives, and unfortunately we depended on it most of the time.

[deepak_sharma]

Well if you talk about rumours then if world is going to an end then whats the use of internet. I heard that world is going to die by 2012.

[Fergal]

Good point Deepak :)

[scifi]

Commercialisation of internet will be of no good to anyone.....If in greed of profits & money some organizations step further towards it they will do a great harm to not only themselves but also to whole age of this INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY!!!!

[pendelton]

For every end there is a new beginning.

[scifi]

For every end there is a new beginning.

Absolutely pendelton!!!
Every new dawn with it brings new rays of Hope !!!!
We should hope for a better future than what it is now because it is historical tradition that every technology brings not only changes but also a Revolution.
A revolution that changes everything, way people live, way people thinks, way people behaves, social pattern, new age ......everything is affected but the impact will be good or bad that only time will tell!!!!