Commonality: Can It Happen?

Technologists and the alike have one goal: To find the answer! One technologist may want to find the answer to making the smallest chip. Another may want to find the answer to restoring sight to the blind. Somewhere, someone is looking for the answer to something. One day someone will be looking for the answer to 'everything'. Converging all answers in to one. And when we know that answer, we'll want to make it available to 'everyone'.

Commonality: "The sharing of characteristics or qualities with other individuals." (Source: Encarta Dictionary).

In the age we are now, this ideal is uneconomical. We can't 'just' share everything with everyone. There is a need to fund research and development for each answer. After all, how else would we be able to secure jobs, pay bills and survive? But even now, consortiums of technologists share their knowledge. There interest is less to do with the ideal of 'everything available to everyone', and more to do with 'profit'.

Large consortiums of industry leaders, The Sony's of our world. Are devising ways to secure income for the future. By getting together an agreeing on a standard from which all the consortium members can benefit from they can be assured that their R&D (research and development) dollars are wisely spent. Whilst there may be the chance that technology far exceeds what is available in the high-street, if it upsets the carefully manipulated balance within the market place we would all suffer.

DVD (digital versatile disc). How many formats exist? To the common Joe: "one". To you and I (I will assume this is true as you are reading a technical article) there are many. DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-A and of course Sony would have to have one other SACD (not quite DVD, but an equal contender). There are single layer and dual layer discs. Blu-ray. And possibly others. In much the same contest that stood between VHS and Betamax, this is the best we can offer even though it took such consortiums to come up with these 'standards'.

At some point, these formats will all be exceeded by something smaller, faster, better and 'silver'. No doubt, whatever may replace the now humble CD or DVD will come in a variety of flavours, each hoping to win the VHS-Betamax-like war.

Time and time again this has happened, and not just in recording formats, but in everything with buttons. Similarities of such can be found in the food industry, cosmetics, music and so on. We cannot afford for their to be too much choice. Unless their is a mass market to feed (metaphorically), prices will become exorbitant, and the value in being the one to find the answer untenable. Consider all emerging technologies. If you are like me, I have to have the latest gadget before or on the day they are available to early adopters, you end up paying a premium. Consumables are sparse and it takes time before even more models are available. Eventually, the mass market can justify the value of the technology, albeit cheaper and often better than those bought by the likes of me (grumble).

Although it's naive to think that one day we'll have at Gattica-style society, where we represent clones of one another. Perfect in every way. Possessing the minimum required, but undoubtedly the best for everything we could ever imagine. We will always crave individuality. This itself will create an interesting future.

So what will happen? What will it be like when everyone is healthy, death does not become the end, we're able to pursue our dreams and do? What will existence be like when technology peeks, convergence is complete and we face commonality?