Readers' panel: Web anniversary

Sunday 6 August marked the 15th anniversary of the publication of computer files credited as the start of the World Wide Web. The publication, by Tim Berners-Lee, began the spread of computer interaction that has lead to the web as we know it.

There are now 882 million people around the world online reading more than 100 million websites, and with each website offering potentially millions of pages of content.

To mark the birthday we've drawn together a panel of web-users from across the world, to give us their thoughts on the birth, the worst, and the future of the web.

Today's question to the panel: What does the future hold for the web and the online world?

Joe Annapolis, USA "Human culture has made a great step in evolution" Karen Prague, Czech Rep "High-speed coverage should be as common as electricity" David Tehran, Iran "The ownership of a computer might become non-essential"

Gabriel Lusaka, Zambia "We can promote teacher-less classes in rural areas" Elson Campinas, Brazil "We can be a global tribe, bringing enormous benefits" Gail Seoul, South Korea "Access to information could eliminate trade barriers"

Click here to read the panel's response to Friday's question

Click here to read the panel's response to Saturday's question

Click here to read the panel's response to Sunday's question

JOE DYNAMO, ANNAPOLIS, USA

Joe used to live in a school bus, now he's an IT consultant

The best thing that can be done for it is to make sure it is unregulated and free, as in speech.

I think, again, the web will continue to evolve as it has. It is a society. A global meeting place.

Human culture has made a great step in evolution. I think it should be guided by people in power to be left open to everyone in the world.

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GABRIEL KALONDE CHINGWE, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

Gabriel is a fan of BBC Africa Have Your Say

Though the internet has different pre-fixes to denote the various countries of the world I would like to see a more interactive and inclusive internet with high speeds especially for developing countries in Africa and Asia.

We already have the web available on mobile phones, laptop and other mobile gadgets.

Webcams have been largely successful and made great use of by medical staff, video conference and by families communicating remotely. In Africa we can develop this to promote teacher-less classes in rural areas that staff may shun due to poor conditions of service.

Overall, governments in Africa should heavily subsidise the internet for schools, health consultations and environment issues.

We need to move in tandem with the world. The super powers have excelled so much with science and technology and need to tag the rest of the world with them.

There will never be a dull moment again...ever!

The advent of broadband and wi-fi has just added a new dimension to the web, allowing us to watch video and audio as it happens in the world.

Most of us, even in Zambia, have now jumped onto broadband connections both at the office and at home.

People are able to browse on board trains and flights. There will never be a dull moment again... ever!

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KAREN INDA, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Karen and her husband run their business from laptops

In a word: wireless.

High-speed coverage should be as common as electricity and radio waves. After all, one doesn't have to go to a "radio cafe" to listen to the radio!

I'd love to be able to open up the laptop and manage our business even when travelling down an empty road in Uganda.

Ultimately, I think the internet is the future and will be seen as an essential utility service.

Most people nowadays can barely remember how we got information before the web, and I think this access would greatly improve with world-wide, government-funded wireless networks.

It should be possible to be online just about anywhere on the planet, from Cambodia to Mauritius to Peru, without having to find an internet cafe.

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ELSON SILVA, PhD, CAMPINAS, BRAZIL

Elson researches hydro- and thermo-dynamics online

The web will make it possible someday to make a global language, shrink bully governments, pacify wild terrorists, shy away racism, improve tolerance, correct biased faiths, save innocent lives, encourage people to shed weight and work out their bodies, eat healthy diets, be friendly and show solidarity, preserve our environment and care for all species.

Humans are intelligent and they can learn and understand.

The web can enable them to do this faster and far beyond the previous common reach, and know what is going on and where to go to from now forward.

The web is a synonym of life - unique human awareness and thinking as a community.

There is not a specific recipe for the internet, but the basic rules always apply that new solutions and edges that have a positive effect stay while the bad side is always minimized or removed.

Nature always allows the good side to prevail and grow until reaching a tenable balance.

Technically there is not virtual or online life since computers do not type but humans spread around the world contacting each other. There is a technological trend going on saying that the web can be 3,000 times faster, and that CPUs can run up to 500 GHz.

If so, in the next 20 to 50 years, we can expect a huge change in the way we can communicate.

We can be a global tribe, bringing enormous benefits:

National boundaries will become obsolete

Our language will become global, more phonetic, with stylistic grammar less important.

National boundaries will become obsolete since we are learning that all governments have problems to handling their powers.

While there is a need for the web to facilitate commerce, it may also provide the alternative economic solutions that reward workers and not owners.

Millions of people have been killed in the name of religion, but nature just asks us to survive and develop friendship and respect for life, and the web will help this happen.

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DAVID MOHAMMAD YAGHOOBI, TEHRAN, IRAN

David runs a blog and a business from Tehran

In the short-term I would like for all features within my computer(s) to be made available through any terminal, anywhere and at any time, a step that is pretty much present to some degree through the internet.

The ownership of a computer might then become a non-essential matter and terminals are made available like street lamps or telephone boxes - mutually respected and readily available.

It might be interesting to see how the internet can be used to advance "democracy", in that activities like voting every few years might be a thing of the past.

People may involve themselves in the "democratic process" more directly, more frequently, and in a multitude of ways.

Instead of the irregularities and flaws of the current voting systems, one might interact with a vast degree of detail concerning many matters, i.e. voting forms that offer a better picture of public desire by simply offering more variables upon those currently available.

Let's have Interactive Citizen Responsibility Cards where I am known to the government for selecting a drop-down menu on pub licensing laws and not my current whereabouts.

Such moves might help involve the apathetic and certainly allow a clearer understanding of national concerns, regardless of whether any governmental functions change.

With such web-based technology one might see the advancement of a new global voting system, where factors that clearly concern other nations through foreign policy may include the voice of those indirectly involved.

Yet somewhat cynically I doubt such technology will arrive unless it benefits those that run the show.

I doubt technology will arrive unless it benefits those that run the show

And if I'm allowed to look further - the web could soon be a 3D domain, maybe coupled with advancements in display technology.

We might then be partly relieved of more physical constraints as we indulge an infinite landscape to cater for our every desire.

I might become an avatar in multiple forms and concern my days with virtual architecture or battling information exchange rights.

I look forward to this possible evolutionary advancement where I transcend from my body and have it become a nostalgic moment of the yesteryears.

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GAIL, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Gail is a lifestyle and travel writer, based in Seoul

I would like everyone to have access to the internet at high speed and basically for free, or practically no cost.

I am confident this might happen as there is a profit motive, since connectivity enlarges markets for companies.

I would love everyone in the world to have clean water first, but I think they are more likely to get the web before that happens. But then at least they could learn how to treat their own water and keep it clean.

I am very excited about the connectivity in under-developed and developing world countries.

People who are unfortunate enough to live in countries ruined by corruption will have a better chance in life.

I believe that the access to information and markets via cyberspace could eliminate some of the trade barriers that have been created by rich nations to protect their own wealth and stability.

I think that it could lead to some big problems as market forces start to erode profitability in Western countries, but I also think it would be nice if the world were a little fairer.

Optimistically, I wish for internet access available globally to lead to better education opportunities for more people.

I hope the web does not destory the book publishing industry

I hope that by increasing everyone's understanding of the world there will be less conflict as a result of cultural/economic/religious differences.

I love the web and all it offers, but I hope that it does not destroy the book publishing industry because I think there is nothing better than a well written, beautifully illustrated book.

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Have Your Say: How has the internet changed your life?