The future

[Lofus]

My take on the future on the hobby, having been in it for almost a year, is as follows:

Fads - There will always be fads. I think it is human nature. Be it DSB's or LED lighting or Bionicle toys and 6" high baseboards. I always try to keep in mind that just because something is new, it is not necessarily better. Sending photos to the grandparents works just as well using an envelope and a stamp as it does with an e-mail.

New Technology - I believe that the "hard" technology (lighting, water processing equipment, controller devices) will always progress. There are too many tinkerers involved in the hobby for new inventions not to be produces. on the higher tech side lighting, controllers, and instruments, these will most definately become more commonplace. Just look at the possible controllers you can put in your house that never existed 10 years ago. Again, the Toy Factor is always present.

New Knowledge - If you think about the "Gentlemen Scientists" in the Victorian era and how rapidly (compared to the 1700s) the understanding of the world advanced regardless of thier somewhat questionable scientific method, you can only imagine where we can go now that we have almost instant access to other "Gentlemen Scientists" in our hobby.

The big thing to understand is that you cannot design or operate your systems based on tomorrow's technology. What you can do is design your system to allow change with the least amount of effort and intrusion into the lives we have in our care.

Well that's my two bits.

Jim