The Future Isn't What it Used to Be

Jeff Bezos, new owner of the Washington Post, speaking to a German newspaper last year:

“There is one thing I’m certain about: there won’t be printed newspapers in twenty years. Maybe as luxury items in some hotels that want to offer them as an extravagant service. Printed papers won’t be normal in twenty years.” said Bezos. That’s a pretty long timeline (think what happened in technology since 1993), but it does given an indication that Bezos may pressure his new newspaper to accelerate abandonment of their print version.

20 years seems a little optimistic to me. I’d be surprised if their were still printed newspapers in ten years. You might also expect your local “paper” of that time to be bloggy-er with its up-to-the-minute news, and more magazine-like with its features. It’s also more likely to be a paid app (subscription or micropayment) on your mobile device than it is to be a free website.

The lamentable “appification” of the web continues.