The Next Billion Internet Users

Link: Michael Geist - How the Next Billion Will Reshape the Internet. Professor Geist has an insightful perspective regarding how the next billion Internet users are likely to impact the medium, and implicitly the rest of us. There is little doubt, IMHO, that this next transformation is likely to be a tsunami of sorts, the likes of which the Western world has never seen.

Consider the fact that, with a very few significant exceptions (e.g. Brazil), the entire western hemisphere can be "targeted" (i.e. from a marketing perspective) with English and Spanish. There are no better marketers than us "yankees" and I predict an explosion of advertising targeting Spanish speaking countries to the south, and BTW, also reaching the millions of Spanish speakers in the "good 'ole USA" as well.

The "melting pot" pop culture of the U.S. is "fixin" to melt South, and the economic interconnectedness, and yes dependence, on our southern neighbors will bring about a change that politicians (on both sides) can't. American business will lead the charge. And despite the fact that American business often overreaches, I have more faith in the business community than I do in those that purport to act on behalf of the people.