How different it was eleven years ago when I first started editing Internet magazines.  We’ve learned to use the technology but it’s not always easy.

There was very little on the Internet to get involved with so my magazine was pretty well all offline mail order home business opportunities, networking, MLM, circulars, chain letters, courses, pyramids, and ‘How to’ reports and publications.

Everything I get through the mail now (through my front door letterbox) always promotes something on the Internet.  Gone are the offline ‘bus opps’ that used to grace my doormat and then, in turn, the kitchen waste bin.

Even the Internet has its problems with junk mail, the only difference is the software that filters it out also ‘accidentally’ filters out the genuine mail.

This creates havoc when you’re posting to a genuine mailing list of subscribers who want to hear from you.

Also, when using email to communicate with offline customers, it’s surprising how often they send you something (often very important) that you simply never receive and vice versa.

I’m wondering how long it will be before email will become a redundant method of communication as ‘spam’ is, literally, slowing it down and killing it.
What other method can we use?

Desktop delivery is one option but most people don’t want to install the software onto their computers in order to make it possible, just in case it’s malicious code.

After all, why should they?

They won’t properly know and trust you at first, anyway.

Internet marketing only works properly if your customer receives your emails.

I can see a system that is unique to each individual business operator coming into play in the future, where you actively communicate directly after setting up an account.

This would cut spam out 100% and customers would feel comfortable dealing with you, more so than through the current email jungle.

Let’s hope my magazine continues thriving where, back in 1999 I started writing  about this ‘new’ thing called the Internet .... Just an article or two at first, then a free magazine called 'Working Hours Internet' and this evolved into the current online version of the publication, Internet Marketing Bugle.

Will anything replace email?  Will anything replace the Internet?  I doubt the latter but it will certainly grow, becoming more controlled by governments with many more ‘paid for’ services. 

What do you think will happen, Internet-wise, here in cyberspace?