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At some point we will realize that an AI can educate students better than a union teacher. Then that it is cheaper to provide a "schoolnet" and interactive terminals to
the temporary detention centers we still call schools. For some communities, at home or
commercially run "day care"/schools may provide a competitive option, but the state
supplied curriculum would be available for free and a progress evaluation testing regimen would be imposed. So, everyone will be trained and acclimated to using a network.
At this point, all digital goods and almost all physical goods will be purchased by interacting with the regional portion of the internet. Poor, rich or whatever we will all
have been assimilated. Resistance is futile. (I'm sure Steve Jobs would agree.)
It's Logistics, as well.
Why have all those stores, all selling the same goods, anyway? Isn't the name brand
product I pickup in Philly supposed to be exactly the same as that product sold in
San Francisco? Aren't all boxes of Cheerios the same, no matter where you buy them? Even name brand goods that are made locally like "Big Macs" or "Pizza Hut" pizza are
expected to be the same, are they not? I would hope that the a particular novel I buy
on the internet is the same as one purchased at a local store.
But you want to take a real good look at the things you purchase, right? Pick it up and
see how it feels? Well, there is a thing called "Telepresence" now and at some point it
could evolve into a new shopping experience. I seem to remember an ad where you could remotely drive a new car.
The small local store might still serve a function but it will have to be something other
than simply offering brand name goods for sale.
Luck;
Ken
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