We are 30 years into the inception of the internet. Gone are the days of the browser wars. Starting a web service is a easy as a couple of clicks of a button. Beyond the tech we also have laws on the books regarding conduct in this space. The disruptive landscape is now just another resource and avenue for well established mega corporations to increase their reach. This is what maturing looks like. Along with the control and red tape we get convince and a reliable economy for our industry. I don't think we will ever really get those days back. Sure crypto , IOT and nano tech are new frontiers into the evolution and expansion of technology but are they truly different in any important way? I guess the answer to that question depends on what will you be doing with that technology. Still, its all built on top of the communication layer of the internet. Along with the maturing of the industry there are new specializations to consider. The power of the internet is spreading and its responsibility must scale as well.
Building on a solid tech foundation. Civil engineers don't reinvent cement every project. This same idea is finally taking hold in the internet industry. More offerings and desires by companies to hire engineers who know frameworks like angular , and react. The specialization between frontend and backend is being refined. If you have any experience with Microsoft visual studio and their integration with Azure there is about 20% of the coding done for you by just picking what type of application you want to create. This at first seems like a simplification of the craft. Like playing with Lincoln logs vs Lego. That's not incorrect but that is only half of the picture. The other half is standardization and speed. This should be embraced as way for the industry to be more productive and consistent. We are on the last days of a new JS framework being created every month. We should focus on creating new applications not new tools.
Law applied to the internet has more recently been political rather than a force of actionable regulation with private companies like Youtube and Twitter focusing on censorship. This is only a start to the idea that the internet is a new frontier that requires new rules. Recently there was a case about the ability to share blueprints for gun that would be possible to create in a 3d printer. Its the combination that the internet is becoming more ubiquitous and the machines tied to the internet are becoming more sophisticated that is requiring additional safeguards and standards to be put in place. I would not be surprised if we could see an entire new type of insurance for internet connected machines.
Laws are only the beginning once the laws are codified they must be enforced. Internet Law enforcement and digital forensics will create new capabilities for police to enforce laws on the internet. If the internet is not safe then it cannot grow and be used in any sustainable way. Law enforcement is probably behind the times because there hasn't been an incentive to allocate resources to this type of surveillance. As more business and actions are done on the internet and with autonomous systems its going to be important to ensure these environments are safe. Something like a network detective sifting through logs like a homicide detective sifts through a crime scene might be necessary if we are to increase the reliance on digital systems. We've taken many steps forward with internet technology in the past 2 decades, maybe its time to take a few back. Just to be safe.
