Syracuse University | School of Information Studies

iOpening Hinds Hall: Honoring our past, celebrating our future

Share Your Vision

Be part of our iOpening Celebration by sharing your vision for the iField. We are collecting your ideas of what the future might look like. Please share your answers to the five questions below, which we will post on this site and at our iOpening on May 10.

Survey Form

Results

Just how “smart” will your home be in the future?

“My home should not be smarter than the individual who holds the mortgage. However, I do see greater feedback for HVAC and detection of problems (such as roof leaks and termites) before they become financial disasters. And a detector in the refrigerator that alerts when food has passed its edibility (and before toxicity sets in) will probably be in future models. ” — Chris Gorsche (MLS 1982)

“Appliances will be controlled from a central integrated home computer station. We will be able to access the ’house‘ from our phone/PDA/work computer to check and see if we left the coffee pot on and turn it off if necessary. We will be able to check and see if we remembered to set the oven to come on so dinner will be ready when we get home and change the setting if we are delayed at work, by traffic, or whatever.” — Frank C. McDowell (BS IMT&T 2006)

“The smart home of the future is already here today. The technologies are already available, and their prevalence will depend on the development of a critical mass. Each home appliance has an IP address, you can stream videos and music to any part of the house, the refrigerator will sense that your groceries run low, you can keep a lookout on your kids at home using a 3G cellphone, and sensors will control the lighting in your house. You can resume a phone call on your cellphone as you’re walking into the house and switch over to the your fixed-line seamlessly through fixed-mobile convergence technology.” - — Aaron Tan (Library and Information Science)

“I’m just hoping it’s smart enough to know when I need a little caffeine in my bloodstream.” — Alana Marie Edmunds (Senior, IST/Marketing)

“Smarter than the average bear.” — Louis E. King (2010)

“Thermostats won’t need to be programmed — they’ll learn our usage patterns, accomodating for holidays and anticipating changes in weather. In the same way we can remotely control our PVR via our mobile phone, we will be able to remotely view our home’s security cameras, if anything to see how our children are doing. In the same way our vehicles are plugged in at the repair shop, our appliances will be able to communicate wirelessly with the manufacturers, not only for advance maintenance, but also so that they can learn our usage patterns and develop and market new products accordingly.” — Frank Bulk (TNM 2005)

“The home will have more networking capabilities and ‘smarter’ appliances. For instance, I won’t have to actually put detergent in the washer; it’ll add this automatically and communicate the need for a new soap cartridge to my auto-buy list and arrive on my doorstep. Dishes will wash themselves inside their integrated cupboards. Appliances will be controlled from anywhere, so you can turn up the heat or start the wash or dinner from your car on the way home.” — Maureen Southorn (MSLIS 2008)

“As smart as it can be while still letting me think for myself.” — Jeff Lombardo (TRF 2008)

“My home will only be as ‘smart’ as my family and I decide to be. Innovation in the field of technology is only one facet of technology. People must be willing to be open to the use of technology for practical purposes and they must be dedicated to learning new ways of living harmoniously with technology. Without active engagement and understanding, a home with the newest technological marvels becomes nothing more than a means of keeping up with the Jones’. However, with involvement and insatiable curiousity, the home of the future may very well know no boundaries due to tools that surpass the physical obstacles of today's world.” — Stacey Greene Wicksall (MLIS 2007)

“Everything would be a touch away using remote controls and voice recognition devices with advanced security features.” — Abhijit Mane (MSIM 2008)

“Everything in the home will be controlled by a central server. When a light bulb is soon to go out, I will be alerted. When the refrigerator is running out of milk, I will be notified. Homes as we know them will be a thing of the past.” — Kaity Lambracht (Information Technology 2008)

“I believe that with IPv6 coming out, every device will be able to have an IP address, giving it access to the Internet. Therefore, your toilet will know when it needs to be cleaned. ;)” — Kirill Morozov (IST 2008)

“Everything will be wireless and I will have the latest and most current technology.” — Marissa Petruno (Information Management 2008, iSchool Cheerleader)

“Very. I hope to have no wires in my house and everything should be powered via wireless charging. I would also insist that everything be controlled via one device.” — James Powell (IM&T 2008)

“With the new technology called VOIP. Sitting at home, I would be able to turn on the TV, adjust the temperature, switch on and off lights. :-)” — Shivangi Dhhir (MSIM 2008)

“Very smart. I’m going to have a state of the art studio and entertainment system.” — Ramon Figueroa (IST 2010)

“I believe that my refrigerator will be able to tell me how much milk I have left and my computer will have more hard drive space than I have use for.” — Sam Clarvit (IM&T sophomore)

“Your home will be very smart. To the point that the doors open and the house operates by itself.” — Sherman Beasley (2010)

“I can’t even imagine what houses will be like in the future, but I’m excited for new technologies in the house.” — Stacy Kirkland (IST 2011)

“Hopefully my home will be somewhat smart. I plan on having some ‘smart’ products in my home.” — Regina Chu (IM&T freshman)

“Hopefully, not to the point when it becomes too ‘smart’, develops a mind of its own, and ignores my instructions.” — Cheryl Seymour (LIS 2007)

“Hopefully, the house will still allow individuals to make decisions, although cleaning, paying utilities bills, and doing laundry would be nice.” — Katharine Posner (MSLIS 2009)

“Hopefully smart enough to get me out of bed before I hit the snooze button 10 times. :)” — Jonathan Hafner (MSIM 2009)

“The home of the future will not need appliances.” — Meg Backus (MSLIS 2009)

“My house in the future is so smart it could show people how to clean the Earth. If they miss something, the girl scouts could pick it up. They have computers that can email or make a letter to Syracuse University. It is a great place for the girl scouts to work together.” — Alexis M. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will do any thing you say. It is like a real person. My house will be a queen heart. It will have a powerful mind. The door opens when you tell it too. ” — Alyssa R. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that is will catch bad guys in a web. It will have a robot spider with a camera. It catches bad guys and waits for the cops. The spider and house have lightning. It has an alarm on the web ” — Braden N.(2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it can turn on the shower for you. If you get in, it has a button that’s yellow. The house has candy on the floor. The candy is a trap.” ” — Dana R. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will do anything you tell it to do. My house has security spiders. The heart of my house is the King spider on the top of the house. ” — Daniel V. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future transforms into a rocket. If a burglar is going to break into my house, that can’t of course because my walls are metal. The door is wood, but it has a secret password. I have a robot maid. The T.V. turns on by itself. The brown part is a secret lab. The grass has cameras. ” — Daniel Z. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will do anything I want. It will make airplanes and helicopters. When I’m hungry it will make me a hotdog, if I say please. Maybe the house will make me a hamburger and french-fries too. ” — Donald G. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“My house will be as smart as a scientist. It will feed me anything I want. I would have a password. The password is my name. It would be a king house. ” — Jeremiah (2nd Grade Student from California)

“My house of the future will be so smart that it will attract anyone that goes near it. It is able to cook anything I like. If there are robbers, I will climb to the top of the roof and pull the lever to drop a net to trap them. ” — Summer (2nd Grade Student from California)

“This is my house of the future. When I run out of candy, it brings me more candy. The candy is good for you. There is a gingerbread man in my house. If anybody eats my house, it comes back. ” — Steve S. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it went to college. It has a brain. It will run, if you say so. It thinks too. It’s tall. It has legs. It will run to the store. It’s so smart that it will go to Wal-Mart. It will get a job at Wal-Mart. ” — Steffanie S. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that is will have four armed mutant alligators as guards. It will have a lava volcano on top. When you walk up to the door there is an eye DNA scanner that will zap you if you don’t have the right DNA. ” — Skylar L.(2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart it can do everything you want it to do. It can cook anything you want. My future house has a robot maid. The garden is inside and the lights are like the sun for the flowers in the garden. There is a secret entrance to a move theater. ” — Savannah W. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“Hello. My name is Richard. My house is very secure. The grass in the front and back isn’t grass. It is spikes that are spray painted green. It has cameras hidden everywhere. The doorbell will sting you hard. ” — Richard A. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will tell my guards to catch intruders. It also will have scanners. I will give me food when I want some. It will give me a drink when I want one. The house will give me a pet when I want one too. ” — Noah C. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“My house in the future is so smart that it can shoot eggs at bad guys. It has a secret hiding place with computers and stuff. It has a special lock where you type in a message to open the door. ” — Nathan M. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will be on the moon. It will have air and food. It will have a satellite to talk to people on Earth. You can study planets. ” — Matthew R. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that is will make me a table, chairs, food, and breakfast everyday. It will take me to school and give me dinner everyday. ” — Julia M. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“The house of the future will be so smart that it will run away from you and play tag. It will take me to places. She will read and talk to me. She can jump rope with me. She can make me a sandwich. I can ask the house to make me a salad. It can stand and can go as fast as a car. ” — Laura O. (2nd Grade Student from California)

“My house of the future will be so smart that it will use cameras. If a person comes by and says their name and I don’t know who it is, that person falls into a trap. I have two cameras. One on the house and another one is on the apple tree. It looks like an apple, but it isn’t. It has a telescope. So, I will know who is at my house. ” — Yvette L. (2nd Grade Student from California)

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Is there a downside to having universal wireless access?

“Socially, yes. We already are seeing a lot of pressure to be "on the grid" 24/7. (I am speaking, of course, of personal devices, not appliances and utilities). We have yet to evolve societal acceptability to be "off the grid" without appearing to be a Luddite or a crank. There are times when it is physically, psychologically and even spiritually necessary to withdraw from constant contact with one's occupation, pursuits, friends and even family; this needs to be respected. ” — Chris Gorsche (MLS 1982)

“The main downside would be the potential for massive identity theft. The problem is bad enough today but with the advent of universal wireless access the problem would accelerate unless strong secure safeguards are in place before it is initiated and continual upgrading of those safeguards after initation. There should also be an effort to have international cooperation and legal considerations in place.” — Frank C. McDowell (BS IMT&T 2006)

“Not at all, the availability of wireless access is undoubtedly beneficial to the workers of tomorrow who will not be tethered to their desks. It will no longer matter where your workplace is. Hot-desking will be prevalent, and you will no longer see homes empty in the day and offices empty at night, which is an inefficient use of resources.” — Aaron Tan (Library and Information Science)

“I believe that we have a preview of these future problems with the issues that have arose from the OLPC initiative through MIT’s Media Lab. Nicholas Negroponte worked to bring wireless (via a mesh networked connection) to developing countries. The optimist in me hopes that these computers (like having universal wireless) will stimulate economic growth, assist small business owners, but mainly help with learning — especially with the number of e-books available. I think that introducing wireless access too early into a community could upset the balance of a particular culture.” — Alana Marie Edmunds (Senior, IST/Marketing)

“It won’t have enough bandwidth.” — Louis E. King (2010)

“With the advent of persistent ‘connectedness’ we’ll need to be conscientious to either occasionally disconnect or self-disciplined to ignore those SMS messages, e-mails, and calls. It’s somewhat ironic, as throughout the centuries humans have generally sought to increase the level of communications with others, but now that we have achieved that goal, we now need to learn to take respite.” — Frank Bulk (TNM 2005)

“It makes it more difficult to avoid demands from those bosses and in-laws...” — Maureen Southorn (MSLIS 2008)

“Not that I can see, the more information out there the better (as long as we know how to sift through the junk).” — Jeff Lombardo (TRF 2008)

“Security and traffic flow are the two greatest problems associated with universal wireless access. This does not mean that it is not a possibility. Solutions will be sought and implemented to respond to these problems. Not having universal wireless access would be akin to prohibiting cities such as New York City from existing... It would be a foolhardy travesty.” — Stacey Greene Wicksall (MLIS 2007)

“No, provided we have sufficient connecting devices to use these wireless networks and improve efficiency at work globally.” — Abhijit Mane (MSIM 2008)

“Security issues. The more wireless coverage, the more security needing to be implemented. More monitoring as well.” — Kaity Lambracht (Information Technology 2008)

“The downside is the cost. Will all of the wireless, there has to be someone who has to pay for it, therefore finding sponsors will be an issue. Another problem is that more people might take this privilege and abuse it.” — Kirill Morozov (IST 2008)

“Yes, security and cost.” — Marissa Petruno (Information Management 2008, iSchool Cheerleader)

“Yes, but a minor downside. Unfortunately wireless access is not as secure as hardwired access.” — James Powell (IM&T 2008)

“With more coverage, the problem of security will still remain prevalent.” — Shivangi Dhhir (MSIM 2008)

“Yes, people can track your every move.” — Ramon Figueroa (IST 2010)

“Maintenance is costly.” — Sam Clarvit (IM&T sophomore)

“I think that it might be, because there are a lot of signals out there.” — Sherman Beasley (2010)

“Less face to face communication. Other than that, I think it would be cool.” — Stacy Kirkland (IST 2011)

“No, I don’t see a downside to having universal wireless access. It’s always good to have constant nonstop Internet access and availability, especially towards the future where most things will probably be digitized and ‘smart’.” — Regina Chu (IM&T freshman)

“Cost of services could be a downside when considering universal wireless access. Those that can’t afford to pay for wireless access are missing out on access to the wealth of information that is available on the Internet.” — Cheryl Seymour (LIS 2007)

“Yes, we will continue to communicate although there will be less face to face contact. Therefore reading body language will become a thing of the past and it may create confusion in messages.” — Katharine Posner (MSLIS 2009)

“From the technical/implementation side of it, as long as whoever is implementing it thinks it through, plans for future growth (including looking at what alternative technologies might come down the pipeline), secures it correctly and it actually gets out to everyone, then it should work out. On the other hand, if it gets funded from my taxes, then yes, there may be a downside.” — Jonathan Hafner (MSIM 2009)

“Yes; there’s no getting away, no such thing as time off.” — Meg Backus (MSLIS 2009)

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How will tomorrow’s Internet be different from today’s?

“Today will be looked upon like the Oklahoma land rush is now. There are so few rules, and those are being made up on the fly. It will probably be glamorized in popular culture. That said, I am hopeful that the creative energy of today's Internet will survive the usual civilizing tendencies that are no doubt needed, as well as inevitable. ” — Chris Gorsche (MLS 1982)

“Faster! Universally available. Possibly layered with different connection levels for business, education, government, and general usage.” — Frank C. McDowell (BS IMT&T 2006)

“The bandwidth on tomorrow’s internet is unimaginable. Gigabit access will be the baseline and it will become the single most important medium in which next generation consumer and business services are delivered. Telepresence, for instance, will be ubiquitous among consumers and businesses. Digital convergence will realize its full potential.” — Aaron Tan (Library and Information Science)

“If we think web 2.0 is cool, we haven’t seen anything yet. Each generation will bring a new mentality to the development of the web’s architecture - the code- which will make all the difference. Not only in the sense of usability and efficiency, but also in terms of potential ‘regulation.’” — Alana Marie Edmunds (Senior, IST/Marketing)

“Haptic reality will bring the Internet experience out of the box and into physical environments.” — Louis E. King (2010)

“The written word is well-embedded on the Internet and voice now more common. The Internet of tomorrow will build on the dropping cost of bandwidth to make video conferencing and full video-based entertainment the new medium of communication.” — Frank Bulk (TNM 2005)

“It will continue to grow beyond Web 2.0, where live communications in all formats will be instant and easy.” — Maureen Southorn (MSLIS 2008)

“It will be available whenever, wherever, probably without having to hit any buttons.” — Jeff Lombardo (TRF 2008)

“So long as the Internet is driven by social interaction and need, it will continue to grow and thrive based upon the desires of its participants. This may mean more use for entertainment purposes and visceral desires. Conversely, the bounds of human curiosity are infinite and the possibilities for academic use are, most likely, beyond our comprehension.” — Stacey Greene Wicksall (MLIS 2007)

“We might have a technology like the iPhone to be used with computers and would probably have voice commands to type using Microsoft Word in order to improve efficiency and save time. Every website may have user friendly features to allow users to view contents as per priority and interests.” — Abhijit Mane (MSIM 2008)

“The Internet will continue to become more user-driven. Web 2.0 will evolve and change and will move into Web 3.0 displaying more advanced features.” — Kaity Lambracht (Information Technology 2008)

“Tomorrow’s Internet will allow people to collaborate more. With open source becoming more and more popular, the knowledge base would create better technology and software.” — Kirill Morozov (IST 2008)

“It will be more interactive on a human level to people of all ages and I believe Google will take over the world.” — Marissa Petruno (Information Management 2008, iSchool Cheerleader)

“It will be more integrated into everyday devices, and most appliances will have an interface. I don’t foresee much of a difference in the Internet other than more interaction, via touch and voice.” — James Powell (IM&T 2008)

“We live in exponential times, the Internet tomorrow will be a lot faster, more bandwidth and our generation will be the major content creators on the Internet.” — Shivangi Dhhir (MSIM 2008)

“It will be faster and more interactive.” — Ramon Figueroa (IST 2010)

“The speeds will be astronomically fast.” — Sam Clarvit (IM&T sophomore)

“There will be more sites and interaction.” — Sherman Beasley (2010)

“I think all the things on the Internet that we can access for free now will have to be paid for in the future.” — Stacy Kirkland (IST 2011)

“Hopefully tomorrow’s Internet would be faster, much more reliable, and more secure than today’s current Internet.” — Regina Chu (IM&T freshman)

“Tomorrow’s Internet will be more organized, faster, and easier to access in terms of connectivity using broadband and wireless technology.” — Cheryl Seymour (LIS 2007)

“Hopefully people will police themselves more requiring fewer ‘agencies’ to police the net.” — Katharine Posner (MSLIS 2009)

“32 bit addresses today and 128 bit addresses tomorrow.” — Jonathan Hafner (MSIM 2009)

“Bigger Faster Louder.” — Meg Backus (MSLIS 2009)

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What would be the single best IT headline in tomorrow’s news?0

“It will probably be a trust-busting of whatever companies are attempting to corner the market on Information Technology. ” — Chris Gorsche (MLS 1982)

“Universal wireless connectablity now available!” — Frank C. McDowell (BS IMT&T 2006)

“Semantic Web user base hits 1 billion.” — Aaron Tan (Library and Information Science)

“IPV6: Just In Time.” — Alana Marie Edmunds (Senior, IST/Marketing)

“Biological computational technologies spur greening of planet to meet information processing needs of the global community.” — Louis E. King (2010)

“FCC concedes that universal broadband is a good public policy.” — Frank Bulk (TNM 2005)

“Study shows that improvements in wireless communications improves economy and decreases incidents of violence in developing nations.” — Maureen Southorn (MSLIS 2008)

“Virtual Reality is here.” — Jeff Lombardo (TRF 2008)

“Grid Technology and Affordable Access Destroys the Digital Divide.” — Stacey Greene Wicksall (MLIS 2007)

“Apple Purchases Microsoft. :)” — Abhijit Mane (MSIM 2008)

“Caver makes phone call from 100 feet below the earth’s surface.” — Kaity Lambracht (Information Technology 2008)

“IT is now officially required: Job growth 200%” — Kirill Morozov (IST 2008)

“Google Starts University” — Marissa Petruno (Information Management 2008, iSchool Cheerleader)

“Linux is the number one operating system in use.” — James Powell (IM&T 2008)

“20 years from now, ‘Today’s would-be information professionals will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38.’” — Shivangi Dhhir (MSIM 2008)

“That laptops are half-price.” — Ramon Figueroa (IST 2010)

“The iPhone will be digitally displayed in the palm of my hand.” — Sam Clarvit (IM&T sophomore)

“Computer takes over the world.” — Sherman Beasley (2010)

“I have no idea.” — Stacy Kirkland (IST 2011)

“The single best IT headline in tomorrow’s news would be seeing new technologies that will help the Internet grow and expand further.” — Regina Chu (IM&T freshman)

“All Internet services are Free.” — Cheryl Seymour (LIS 2007)

“Libraries persuade people to use their resources.” — Katharine Posner (MSLIS 2009)

“Company founded by SU iSchool student exceeds Microsoft and Google to become largest IT company in the world.” — Jonathan Hafner (MSIM 2009)

“One Window Per Worker: Networked Periscope System Eliminates the Cubicle Experience.” — Meg Backus (MSLIS 2009)

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What course will iSchool students still be taking 20 years from now?

“The content may change, but the essential core of what information and knowledge is all about should not. There will be a philosophy course, a man-machine interface course, an organization of information course, an economics of information course, a progress of technology course, and a preservation course. Perhaps we will even re-employ the term "Librarian" not in the sense of book- or print-orientation, but that of freedom. Syracuse helped me realize that when I was a student, and I look forward to the school maintaining and prospering that mission. Congratulations on the new building! ” — Chris Gorsche (MLS 1982)

“Information Reporting and Presentation — IST 444. I suspect that the means of doing this will change but iSschool students will still need to know how to do the reports and make presentations to those they will be working with. As iSchool students and graduates this is something we should excell in. Information isn’t worth much unless it can be intelligently presented to those who must be educated whether it is in a school setting, the work place, in church, or the media.” — Frank C. McDowell (BS IMT&T 2006)

“IST601: Information and information environments” — Aaron Tan (Library and Information Science)

“‘Managing virtual projects,’ ‘Cyber Entrepreneurship,’ ‘CyberLaw: How to protect your intellectual property,’ ‘Managing teams in virtual worlds’” — Alana Marie Edmunds (Senior, IST/Marketing)

“Economics.” — Louis E. King (2010)

“Asian-American business.” — Frank Bulk (TNM 2005)

“IST 616/Information Resources: Organization & Access. The volume of available information will only continue to grow and overwhelm us, making these issues ever more important!” — Maureen Southorn (MSLIS 2008)

“Some design course I’m guessing. People will always need to know how to make things look good.” — Jeff Lombardo (TRF 2008)

“There are two that stand out in my mind: IST 616 - Information Resources: Organization & Access, and IST 618 - Survey of Telecom. and Info. Policy. Regardless of what they may be called in the future, these courses are integral to the information profession. We must know how to organize information to allow for optimum access and we must seek to stay abreast of both political and economic policies tied to the accessibility of information. These skills are the heart of our profession.” — Stacey Greene Wicksall (MLIS 2007)

“ASP.NET, Internet architecture, project management and the best of all DATABASE.” — Abhijit Mane (MSIM 2008)

“3-Dimensional Web Design” — Kaity Lambracht (Information Technology 2008)

“IST 444.” — Kirill Morozov (IST 2008)

“Project Management and Presentations and Publications.” — James Powell (IM&T 2008)

“The IT professionals of 2020 will not be technical people but versatilists. Thus the courses we would still be taking are Managing Information Systems Projects, DBMS and Enterprise Technologies.” — Shivangi Dhhir (MSIM 2008)

“IST 444. It’s a great course.” — Ramon Figueroa (IST 2010)

“History of IT.” — Sam Clarvit (IM&T sophomore)

“Robot management 101.” — Sherman Beasley (2010)

“IST 195. An introduction to tools and applications on the computer, and a generalization of how the computer works.” — Stacy Kirkland (IST 2011)

“I see iSchool students taking courses that will fit the new technologies and ideas of the future, since IT is a constantly changing field.” — Regina Chu (IM&T freshman)

“IST 616.” — Cheryl Seymour (LIS 2007)

“511 - in the future librarians will still need to specify and they will need a course to explore all of the different options available.” — Katharine Posner (MSLIS 2009)

“Project management, presentation skills and finance/economics.” — Jonathan Hafner (MSIM 2009)

“Theory of Classification.” — Meg Backus (MSLIS 2009)

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