Internet Archive Predicts The Web In 2046 With Dystopian ‘Wayforward Machine’
Screenshot via Internet Archive
For 25 years, the Internet Archive has done a respectable job preserving lost gems of the web and letting users travel back to the past with the much-beloved ‘Wayback Machine’. It intends to keep its role, but there’s a fear that there won’t be much to protect decades from now.
In an intriguing projection into what the internet would look like in the future—which would presumably have a direct impact on the entire world—the “search engine of 588 billion web pages” has created the stunning Wayforward Machine, where you’ll have a glimpse of the internet in 2046. The project marks the Internet Archive’s 25th anniversary, but instead of celebrating its high points, it’s entering a quarter-life crisis and urging internet users to fight for their right to free and open knowledge.
The dystopian Wayforward Machine foresees “a world where access to knowledge is under siege,” and you’ll be able to experience it firsthand. Entering the URL of any website, including your own, would trigger an army of popups for paywalls and firewalls, with end-to-end encryption being extinct. In certain cases, you’d have to present your thumbprint or iris scans for verification.
“Site temporarily unavailable for your own good,” one message eerily reads. “This site contains information that is currently classified as Thought Crime in your region. If you are the owner of this site, please contact your local Ministry of Truth at your earliest convenience.”
Try it out for yourself here.
😻Love the #WaybackMachine? Have you seen our new #WayforwardMachine yet?
— Internet Archive (@internetarchive) October 6, 2021
👉https://t.co/gD3qhALI5J
Give it a try to imagine your website in 2046.#InternetArchive25 #IA2046
[via ZDNet, cover image via Internet Archive]
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