Internet is Getting More Personal ( Article on Internet )

Back in 1997, when I set out to pioneer the digital landscape with the creation of a digital agency, I knew the experience I was embarking on was incredibly fluid, and it would move in ways neither I nor anyone else could truly predict.

In 1997 (sounds ancient), the digital landscape was simple, and everyone who was online essentially had the same experience: You would watch your computer kick up, jump onto Netscape or Internet Explorer, and you were off to explore what the world had to offer. Everyone who had access to a computer essentially started the same journey in exploring this immense data network called the “World Wide Web.”

What many of us did not realize was that the web was actually starting to grow and shrink at the same time. What I mean is, the web was starting to become personal. It started to do something I never expected it to – it taught itself about us and our behavior.

I will never forget when I first logged onto Google. I remember thinking to myself, “What is the purpose of this site?” It made no sense. It had no graphics. It didn't look very cool. It had a simple search function (I was used to huge graphics at the time). I had no idea that Google was becoming my own personal engine for searching the Internet. Everything was right at my fingertips and, over time, Google could predict what I was about to look for.

From then on, the personal Internet kept growing: Amazon introduced us to personal shopping, Apple introduced us to this personal music device called the iPod, Facebook created a place for all of us to connect with our personal networks, and LinkedIn did the same thing with our personal business contacts. This global World Wide Web that I used to surf back in 1997 was no longer one big pool of blue ocean data, but had turned into a hyper-focused and very personalized micro-island that I could hang out in when I wanted to.

But, the personal Internet is changing. It is mobile. It is integrated into devices. It is in cars, toys and robotics. In fact, the micro-island is actually a series of islands all connected together. Islands that are robust with people you want to connect with, who share similar interests, who come from all over the world, and are always just a click away.

The Internet has become so personal that it lives within all of us. I would make an argument that the future search engine will no longer be Google, but will be us as individuals. Think about it. We are currently connected through a ton of different touch points. Computer learning will continue to not only understand how we use and consume data, but compute how healthy we are, where we go, what are tendencies are. Those people you trust most, those people who are in your inner circle, will no longer need to search Google to find something, because in real-time, your inner circle will be kicking out enough relevant data and stories that you will no longer need to go anywhere else. Platforms like Snapchat and Meerkat will continue to fuel virtual hiding places, and before you know it, you will not just be on a micro-island, you will be in a treehouse on the island with only those you most care about.