I was looking for some recent video footage of a presentation I gave and came across this 1997 video interview I did on a local cable show in New York City called "The Woman's Connection" with Barrie Switzen.
In addition to talking about the early days of Cybergrrl, Inc. and the websites we produced for women - Cybergrrl.com, Webgrrls.com, and Femina.com - we talk about Web TV (remember that?), women on the Internet, boomers online, and I even make an attempt at predicting what would happen in 10 years (by 2007) regarding Internet usage.
ME: ...There's a long way before everyone is going to be online.
QUESTION: Do you think everybody will be online?
ME: Well, does everyone have a television? No, but a lot of people do. I really think that the combination of the TV and the computer, we're all going to somehow something in our homes within the next 10 years - that will really be essentially the Internet, the new version.
QUESTION: The new version. Well let's talk about the next new version. What do you think that's going to be?
ME: You know, it's so hard to predict. Because everything they think it's going to be, it ends up not being. They said it was Interactive Television, but that's never happened.
But I really think that eventually - whatever the TV slash computer slash telephone is, combine it all together and that is going to be something that we'll have, some sort of utensil or appliance that we'll have.
I love looking at the past. And this video reminds me of how much I love thinking about the future - it appeals to the sci-fi fan in me.
In 2000, I was asked to make predictions for Ladies Home Journal and here is what I came up with for 21 Predictions for the 21st Century:
- Virtual reality conferencing will eliminate the need for constant business travel - put on the headset and you are there in the conference room clear across the globe.
- Space travel will become a recreation for the ultra-wealthy, but eventually will become accessible to most people.
- Fashion and beauty items will be worn by individuals to minimise exposure to germs in public places. Items will include personal air purifiers and second-skin suits to protect the epidermis in the form of body-suits, gloves, tights, long underwear and socks. For a short time, people will avoid shaking or holding hands and kissing in public for fear of transmitting or receiving unwanted germs, and spitting becomes the ultimate insult and a potential threat to others' health, so it is banned in public places.
