#NHBM Nov 10th The Future of Internet

"What's Tweeter?" Twitter? "Facebook is just trying to copy myspace..." Youtube, google, bing, tumblr, wordpress, blogger, TED, stumbleupon, and the list goes on and on. Remember, not so long ago, when all of these terms used to be completely arbitrary? When your reaction was, "What's what?"

Believe it or not, it wasn't that long ago. But now, we're all completely reliant upon all of these internet/social devices, and more! I'm the first to admit, that I love it.

I'm so thankful for the internet, and everything that it's become! Without it, we would still be waiting for the news to come on to see what was going on in the world. We wouldn't be able to know what our favorite celebrities are up to on Twitter, and it would be difficult to get our ideas out to the rest of the world. Thankfully, these are no longer a hassle. It's become a part of our everyday lives.

Just like anything that is constantly evolving, one must be excellent at adapting--otherwise, you'll simply get left behind. I'm excited for the many more gadgets and tools that are to come in the near future for internet users and bloggers. It's important to not get lost out there in the internet. It's important to understand how you will utilize the resources out there, and how you can use them to your (or your business/organization/mission's) advantage.

For me, my ideal use of the internet for FoodAllergyTalk.com would be to have a virtual community where people can literally interact via avatars (virtual people who act as the virtual version of yourself). Think of it as a a Sims land, but you create "you," and when you log on and talk to the other avatars, you are engaging with other avatars, that are real people on the other end. You will be able to target in on what is important to you. For example, are you having dinner at the hottest new gluten free restaurant? So is your avatar! Hungry? Wander over to the "dining" map and pop into a different location in your city to see what other food allergy individuals are eating there right now, in real life. This way, you will be able to connect with them in real life! Right there, you've made a meaningful interaction, all by using the internet as a tool to enhance your real life experiences.
That is just the start of the possibilities. What are your ideas? Keep your imagination open-there are no limitations!

-Andrea Garza