Conclusion: "Future of Friendship"

Among my most cherished memories are the letters my husband and I use to exchange in the early years of our marriage. Because we were thousands of miles apart, the most efficient and economical way of communicating was through letters (I still have them all). There were no instant messaging, emails or any social networking sites then. Our only electronically means of communication was the telephone and those telephone calls were not that cheap. I remember loosing contact with most of my childhood and school friends who had moved away. They became just memories. Even though we sometimes promise to keep in touch, they all tend to fade away after a few letters . robles.callutheran.edu/~tierney/tradfri.html Those indeed were the days.

This era is quite different. The innovation of the Internet and mushrooming of social network sites have changed the dynamics of relationships thus friendships. In this past weeks as we have explored the concept of the “Future of friendship”, We have seen how friendship as we know it have evolved into cyber relationships. We have explored the effectiveness of online communication, we have questioned the trust issues and weigh the risks involved and we have questioned the future of online friendship in 2020 and beyond. Where have our quest taken us? We all have different views concerning this 21st century phenomenon yet we all have come to a consensus that what is happening now on these social media networks is just a tip of the iceberg - the “future of online friendships” is about to move to a new dimension it is just a matter of time. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25079/?a=f

What have we learnt or gained from this blog? If my friends will agree, we have learnt that traditional or online"friendship" might differ on so many levels but a friend is some one who is always there for you, online or offline. For us four, I hope the bond of friendship that we have form might carry us to 2020, God willing.

Conclusion : My Journey from Social Media-Eek to Social Media-Geek

This course has taught me plenty about the evolution of Web 2.0 and the effects it has on our society. A very interesting book, which we used as our text for this class, is Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom. Authors Matthew Fraser and Soumitra Dutta explain how social networking is changing the world we live in, and focus on the shift in our identities, status and power.

Many other issues are examined in this class, but the most important concept I have learned, is that of online friendships. I was previously of the opinion that online relationships were neither rewarding or successful; that there was nothing beneficial to gain from them. However, I have since been convinced that I was wrong. In my research, I have come across numerous success stories about friendships and relationships.

The one that affected me the most is the story of Lina, Yul, Collette and Mel. Four women from different backgrounds and belief systems joined a group for an online school project. Sound familiar?
I "met" these wonderful women barely seven weeks ago, and am amazed at the amount of respect and admiration I have for them already. They are intelligent and reliable ladies who each have their own great and unique sense of humour. I believe that our online connection with each other will continue to grow and flourish long after this class is completed.

Mashable is an online social media guide that provides tips to making to the most of your relationships.
I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to connect with such great women. I would love to hear your stories about an online friendship or relationship you have had, whether it was a positive experience or not. Do you think we can create meaningful relationships with someone we have not met face-to-face? Please share your thoughts.

Future of Friendship 2020: Future of Online Friends

The future of friendship through web 2.0 may be difficult to predict, yet it is clear that something great is brewing around the future of the internet. I believe everyone needs at least one best friend to talk to and confide in either face to face or through social media networking. It is important to the well being of the society when you have friends outside the family whom you can share ideas with . http://www.futurist.com/articles-archive/society-and-culture/the-future-of-friendship/.
Hopefully, by 2020 the activities, like using the internet to enjoy the opportunities and interaction would be made possible and get better. Friendship online would be more secured leading the way to opportunities we never knew existed.
As Future Internet 2020 explains http://www.future-internet.eu/fileadmin/documents/reports/FI_Panel_Report_v3.1_Final.pdf. We have connectivity today with our friends but it is not everywhere. We have devices but they do not talk to each other. By 2020, the internet “will be both laid out as public infrastures and dynamically created by the objects connecting to one another”.
If we look at how friendship has come to this far through the web then we should keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best in 2020. I believe from the way technology is advancing, web 2.0 will take us to the next level where there will be new ways of interacting, new ways of living and new ways to be entertained. So where do you think online friendship is taking us to?

Future of Friendship 2020 : Hologram Communication

Online friendship might not be so scary or intimidating in the future if hologram communication can be developed for house hold use. What is hologram communication? To put it simply it is a device that allows people to communicate in virtual reality presenting the person in a specific location in 3D and in live recording. Please see this YouTube video to see what it might look like http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/6/amazing-hologram-technology-755405.html. Do not be surprised that this might be a possibility before the year 2020 in people’s homes. Individuals would be able to have a virtual communication in 3 D live and it would be great if people could do this to facilitate friendship online. When CNN demonstrated this in 2008 it was mind bugling and so we should not be surprised if this becomes a reality in online friendship of the future. With this type of technology the possibilities could be endless in what people could achieve with online friendship. Just Imagine. http://gadgets.softpedia.com/news/Live-Hologram-Communication-to-Become-Reality-within-5-Years-1233-01.html
By Collette

Future of Friendship in 2020

Generally, we tend to be afraid of that which we are unsure of, and reluctant to let go of what we are accustomed to. I share this nervousness, but am also excited to see where technology will take us in the future.

I wonder, if some day we will be able to get out of bed, put on our virtual suits (including helmets and goggles), and step into a new reality. In this world, we will live as we do now, but without the boundaries of distance or language. We will experience the everyday life that we now live without leaving our homes. Maybe a little far fetched, and not necessarily something to look forward to, but who knows where technology will lead us?
The future of friendship, and reality itself is something we just have to wait and wonder about.
Microsoft created a short video which illustrates an ideal picture of our future of communication; where we are all united and connected through the touch of a button.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQu5zRmqa_E&feature=related
Of course, you have to take into consideration who produced this video, and what motives may be behind the creation. Microsoft is a major company that stands to gain a lot of money if the future continues to involve innovations in technology.

Whether the future of technology has a negative or positive impact on friendship, we will not know until that time comes. Until then, we should take advantage of the benefits that instant communication has to offer and enjoy the now. Ezine Articles offers advice on how "to use technologies to enhance your relationships".


Do you ever wonder where the future of friendship lies? Is a new age of friendship something you welcome or are concerned about?

By:Melanie

Future of Friendship: Future of Online Friends 2020 and Beyond

With the explosion of social media sites, would we say we have reached the pinnacle of virtual communication or we have just clipped the tip of the ice berg? What more does technology have to offer when it comes to online communication and cyber friendships in 2020 and beyond?
I believe technology has a lot in store for us. With the creation of the Video Instant Messaging, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpoNxXgUpsU online friendship is advancing to the point that face to face communications can be possible, thus blurring the line between real world and virtual world friends.

MOCOM 2020 .com has a presentation of how innovations have evolved from the 20th century and is moving fast towards 2020 and how this has and will affect global communication . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScddkTMlTc&feature=related These new gadgets are being designed in such a way that virtually the world will have no boundaries, and that “what we think is impossible now, will come to pass” (Rainer Wong, 2007). Some believe that in the future there will be no language barrier in communication. For one’s words will be easily translated into the language of the receiver. For instance, people with no knowledge of the English word would have their messages translated into their own native language. Another concept is that you can virtually appear before your friends without moving from your house.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/224448/the_internet_and_its_future_what_will...

As technology advances towards 2020 online friendships will become much easier, convenient and exciting. A newer breed of social media lites is waiting to invade the virtual world.

Security : Stolen Identity

Security - In as little as ten years ago it was difficult for someone to find information about you on the internet and misuse the information but nowadays people are putting a lot more information about themselves online risking the dangers of security breach http://www.buzzle.com/articles/security-issues-on-social-network-websites.html. The information that people give in the quest to establish online relationships can prove to be very dangerous and can lead to people putting themselves at serious risk of exploitation. For example, in the case of stolen identities people can steal somebody's id and use it to obtain a loan, credit card, mortgage and use it to use it. And this can ruin the person's credit http://www.pc1news.com/news/0423/social-networking-sites-could-be-identity-theft-traps.html. So if people want to start an online friendship they might be scared that if they provide personal information regarding themselves it might be used for dubious purposes. It is believed that scammers can find someone's password from simple information like pet's name or kid's name. So how can one really feel secured that the information that they provided for the sake of establishing friendship will not be used for other purposes other than friendsip? I am careful not to provide such information online but at the same time I could get carried away if I was communicating with someone and I wanted the person to know more about me and some of my experiences. It is still a haunting thought that someone out there on the web such as a predator that is watching people waiting for the opportunity to strike.

By Collette