is co-founder, executive producer
and marketing director, the Multiverse Network.
He previously worked at Zone Labs, Netflix,
Netscape, Borland, and The Discovery Channel. The
Multiverse Network is a company aiming to become
the world's leading network of Massively
Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) and 3D virtual
worlds. Bridges specializes in market creation
and growth for new products and has built and
launched a number of technology platforms. He has
collaborated with tech expert John Dvorak on
multiple books.
What is your
greatest fear for the future of networked
technologies? I'd hate to see
crushing regulation come in. I'd hate for
there not to be a revolution that lets people
really experiment in this space. I'd hate for
there to just be this continuation of only big
companies like Microsoft and Google sort of
setting policy by what they do, and the companies
they acquire, the places they decide to explore.
I don't think we're really locked in
right now, I mean the internet has changed
everything. But I'd like to see that openness
continue. I worry that if the healthy ecosystem
of smaller companies getting involved I'd
worry if that ecosystem started to wither. What is your most
fervent hope for the future of networked
technologies? My most fervent wish for
the future of networked technologies is that it
becomes economically feasible for tens of
thousands, maybe millions of people to get an
experiment in that space. That's what I'm
dedicating my life to doing – is to making
it affordable for people to get in and experiment
and kick the state of the art downfield by a lot.
To take the power out of the hands of the huge
companies and put it into the hands of
individuals and startups so you can get real
innovation, get some really interesting stuff
built. What technology
will have the greatest impact on our everyday
lives the next 10 years? Within the
digitally enabled world – parts of Asia,
North America, Europe – (I see) sort of an
extension and deepening of what we have now,
which is ubiquitous computing, as we move into
wearable computers. Lots of people have PDAs, you
have the cell phone that's a camera, maybe a
BlackBerry device. That's going to be
completely mainstreamed, more so than now.
We're going to see different input and output
devices, so you don't have to lug a laptop
around with you. You bring some glasses along
with you thtat have a little monitor on them for
a quick check of whatever graphical data you
need. I'm looking forward to someone creating
typing gloves, so I can just type wherever I am
… Basically, ubiquitous computing –
a mix of the virtual and the real. I think
there's going to be a convergence of the
wired and analog world and it's not really
going to make sense to place an arbitrary
boundary or definition between the two of those.
I think it's just going to be big mashup of
the wired and the non-wired and that's going
to be the world 10 years from now. Looking out more
than 10 years, what development will have the
greatest impact on society? The most
important technological development I see on the
horizon. This might take us on sort of a sci-fi
path. I believe the Singularity is coming. I
don't know if it will happen in my lifetime,
potentially my kids' lifetime. Being able to
extend the human lifespan is sort of the end
result of the technologies and things I would
like to see happen. Once you start to extend the
human lifespan, then you get increasingly better
technology to continue to extend the human
lifespan, and successive generations can live
longer and longer, which can lead to all sorts of
literally world-changing and life-changing things
to be done that we couldn't even conceive of
now. So extending the human lifespan, keeping
humans productive and sharp well into their 100s
is going to be really something we'll see,
perhaps not in my lifetime, but perhaps my kids
will get to see take advantage of that sort of
thing. What do you think
policymakers should do to ensure a positive
future for networked technologies? Stand
aside. Don't get in the way. The most
important thing, policywise, is to not create
many new regulations. Protect the people who need
protecting. There are going to be issues of
copyright infringement and predators and things
that need to be dealt with. Other than that, try
to stay hands-off. |