The World in 2030

72 The World in 2030
to brain-storm particular problems, to manage projects and to
develop a pool of social community knowledge (and maybe
even wisdom). One good example of a Wiki community in
action is discussed on a website called Wikinomics:
A wiki is used in the Netherlands to plan wind turbines,
to realise a CO 2
cut of 20 to 30 per cent. On
the wiki, extended with a googlemaps plug-in, maps
with proposed wind turbine locations are designed.
The goal of the wikiprocess is to present locations
for 6,000 3MWatt turbines, enough to provide for all
electricity in the Netherlands. 138
This new, emerging ‘wireless firmament’ (for want of a
better phrase) will be the place where we chat, play, conduct
business, earn money, administer government, learn, fall in
love, have sex, store our memories, remember and honour
the dead, and connect all of our loved ones and friends, our
inanimate objects and ourselves. It is humanity’s future.
This is not a new idea to me. Twenty-five years ago I
wrote ‘The On-Line Handbook’ 139 in which I said:
The linking of computers around the world is going
to have far-reaching effects, and the spread of knowledge,
the interchange of ideas and the dissemination
of information are going to produce a revolution in
our society.
The moment you go on-line you feel as
though the revolution has sprung down the
telephone line and invaded your own room.