No it won't be dead. Morphed into something else, yes, that's already happening and been happening from day one. Yes, mix in mobile and social media, they're still in their infancy.

Not going to happen that fast. There are nearly three billion Google searches per day and one in 12 people use Facebook. Would that many people drop out in only a couple years? Just as well, There are only so many uses for mobiles. They are not sophisticated enough to be the primary devices, with only 3 - 4 inch screens and low processing power. In my opinion, it is going to be the contrary to this. We are moving more and more toward just websites in the cloud, over native applications and programs.

According to the naysayers, Google should've been dead a long time ago.

This post about Google being dead appeared in Jan, 2006 (over 5 yrs. ago!) in CNN: Where Google may be headed: Google is dead - Jan. 25, 2006

And this one presenting its death in 2007: Google Is Dead

I have no crystal ball, and I don't expect Google to last forever, but Google is still alive and kicking - I don't think it will go anytime real soon.



That said, it's best not to put all your eggs in one basket either. Diversify your income streams.

Ha ha - just what I was thinking ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon

Will

the world will be over in 2012. or around that. will you really care about the internet?? lol... we're all going to be dead/dying.

2012 is a myth and highly, highly doubt the internet (as we know it right now) will end in the time frame that you specified. Google receives such a high amount of searches every day I can't imagine how they will just vanish in a coup of years. Interesting post though, makes you think. Kinda.

How many people buy serious stuff from a 3 inch screen ? Give me a break

I don't believe that is possible, Google is getting stronger everyday.

Its good to hear some reasuring answers. I do suppose that the best thing to do is learn to grab some traffic from the mobile and social networking markets to send to websites.

2012 is just the result of the Mayans not planning ahead and creating more calendar days. The Internet had a better chance of being destroyed in 2000 due to the Y2K "bug"! And look out - in the year 10000 we will have a real problem (but we have a while to get ready for that one, just make sure to update your copy of Windows 9997!)

But 2013 holds some actual legitimate threat. We are in a period of increased solar flare activity (it happens every 11 years), in fact just in the last month we have had a couple that actually affected the GPS satellites for a short period. There is a prediction that this will peak in early 2013.

It's actually a serious threat, in 1859 a CRE (Coronal Mass Ejection) dubbed "the Carrington event" was so strong that it caused telegraph machines to catch fire and produced an aurora that was seen as far south as Hawaii. If such an event occurred today it would have devastating effects on our communications networks, electronic devices and power grids. So in a sense yes, the Internet itself could be severely damaged.

But as for the "Internet" ending due to the proliferation of mobile platforms? No, it's just changing, and always has been. Don't forget, it's been around in some form since 1969. In 1988 I was on the Internet, actually living in the OP's home town and working for the Alberta Government. There was no web browser, no web pages - instead we relied on services like Gopher and Veronica to jump between sites, mostly government and university as commercial access to the Internet was just beginning.

With mobile platforms we are just witnessing the next step in the evolution of the Internet. If we target our business models to accommodation these change we will do just fine. And I wouldn't be so quick to write off Google searches either, they have a history of embracing (and often pioneering) the latest technology and I doubt they are about to stop soon.

So yes, definitely take the new wave of social networks and mobile platforms into consideration. But don't abandon the current stuff either. When I first used a web browser it was Netscape 0.8 Beta, and there were about 5000 web sites world wide. Some of us predicted it would catch on, other said it was just a toy for geeks. Seems like it did catch on - but my very first Internet application, the one I started with in 1988, is still pretty popular today as well. We called that "email"!



Bill

I'd say someone found a way to use scare tactics, the end of the internet, to market their mobile make money product. Yawn.

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I think this is the full time bulls**t to afraid from future or what is going to happen tomorrow. C'mon dude future is not important when you are living present

So, you read a "guru" report that is predicting some catastrophy? I'd be surprised if that same "guru" didn't have a product to offer you that would "save you" from the impending doom!

I'd be quite surprised if said "guru" didn't have a very high priced product to offer you.

This "guru" is likely a very astute student of none other than Mr Dan Kennedy who uses what he calls "3 Letter Formulas That Let You Transcend Price"....guess what one of the formulas is? You got it; fortune telling. Double points for guessing what kind of predictions get the best response (according to Mr Kennedy)? Bingo. "impending doom" types. Dont believe me? Its on page 57 of "The Ultimate Sales Letter"...go look.



Now do you think, since Googles whole advertising machine is based on search, that they will let search die? Despite all this new technology and new ways of advertising (which is what facebook really is), the old ways dont go away. Did the internet kill off newspapers? magazines? classified ads? Did email kill of direct response via snail mail? Hardly..The clever marketer (and I know you are) will make good use of all the available channels to maximise response/sales/exposure/etc.

Haha I love it when I see posts like this. People seem to think the net will totally change or die and yet nothing really happens.

If Google changes and closes some SEO loopholes, people will find new ones. If the net migrates to mobile users, SEOs will figure out a way to market to them.

There will always be gaps in the market people will be able to take advantage of so do not worry.

I DO NOT believe things like that!

Internet will evolute but will not end.

There are other markets of course but that doesn't mean that the usual things will not be working. They can change but won't stop so, imho, just forget about that report.

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Google is what people know where to go. It will not be dead. Mobile apps maybe used but Google will remain in the internet marketing world. There are already changes we can see today but it doesn't affect Google at all. QR codes is one of the apps used in marketing but people will remain in using search engines at home, office or wherever they are.

First, i don't believe in prediction. Yes, the world will come to the end one day, maybe tomorrow maybe in billion year.

As far as google is going to away, highly unrealistic. Mobile can't replace computers and if so, IPad and other tablets would never get the current market they have today.

Google kingdom currently is getting bigger. Check G+1 and how hard will it hit facebook.

They mentioned mouse will disappear / keyboards ? could they really go away as long as we using computers ? people are buying keyboards & mouses for tablets.

I wouldn't worry about it

NOP dont think so

"The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun!"

I don't think that is possible. That kind of prediction is way too overboard and scary for us who depends on internet marketing.

I can't believe people still get sucked into these types of scare tactics... They obviously still work!

Actually, the net as we know it WILL be gone. Internet V6 will be in full effect and this infrastructure will be out-dated. The new 'Information Superhighway will be called 'The Grid'.

The Grid will not be a huge difference to users EXCEPT, it will be MUCH faster making HD videos practical as well as other large files or streams. Watching TV from a connection to your computer, (with a subscription, of course), will be common place as well as games, surfing, buying from stores AND internet marketers. The grid will double the number of users in the world faster than you now can imagine.

No, the Internet will change, but IM is not going anywhere. The only changes in IM will be a bag load of new opportunities!

So the people will stop using computers? I highly doubt it will happen EVER! Atleast, it won't be happening within next 5 years. Yes, if that report would've said that a new search engine will defeat Google then it would be acceptable.


- Steve

Hi thorick ,

Pay no attention to this doomsday stuff. The report is there to get you panic and buy . Don't fall that crap .

Such doomsday -everything-sis going to end - is just designed to grab your attention . there is very liitle substance . You can find reasons that would be the case but can you tell the future

He is not a seer and he doesn't know . Don't let anyone mislead you

It is often the case that when people say something would come to an end that is when it doesn't

Internet is here to stay . It is on your mobile. It is every where . We can't produce effective without it .We have a close paperless culture

Don't believe everything you read in your report

~Femi

Let me guess..Ryan Deiss is the author of this, huh? He created quite a stir with this report. Very clever but evil marketing method, based on fear to get you to buy something.

What if the only place to find a relevant piece of information was on a blog on the internet?

I bet that alone would keep it alive...

The end of web is as the end of the world....yet to come.

Haha, 2012 is the year they have predicted everything will end, let alone the internet.

I have read the whole would end - armageddon in 2012.

Internet marketing won't just end, it will morph over time into a slightly different concept using different skills. Like it has been doing since the dawn of the internet. It's the natural cycle of life, nothing is forever!

I read this same report. It did sound real! But yes, this guy had a membership deal to buy into - where they would keep you informed of the upcoming changes, and help you through the transition.

I am thankful I came across this post! I almost believed the guy!

I have the same report sitting on my desktop. I think this report is leveraging the marketing of mobile device manufacturers who are trying to convince everyone that the desktop computer is dead and everything will be some type of phone or tablet.

I will NEVER give up my desktop (or my 24" widescreen) to browse the internet on my phone.

I will also not pay 97 per month to learn how to leverage mobile devices for my marketing purposes. If you know where to look, you can find out how to do this without the overpriced continuity.

If you stop and think about it, where do tablets and smart phones get their information? Could it be....<gasp> the Internet? Without the Internet, mobile devices would be useless.

Google's search growth is actually rising because of the use of mobile devices. For example, on my smart phone, I can do a search visit a site in the results and complete a transaction with no problem at all.

I checked a couple of my own sites on my phone and they look and work perfectly with no problem. I can zoom in for easier reading, use the shopping cart and of course work through PayPal (all this with no site modifications).

The opportunity to target mobile users with new apps is just that - one more opportunity. But...just like the recent Kindle Store purge, expect to see the mobile market flooded with useless apps that will ultimately cause the various app stores to tighten up significantly.

If you really want to target the mobile market, just keep doing what you're doing - nothing will change in that regard.

Change is the name of the game. Our grand kids will probably look at the Internet we use now and wonder how we put up with it, lol

I saw the same report. It was a well-written piece of fear-mongering.

Things may change, but there will ALWAYS be a way to reach people with your messages. That's how I look at it.

I personally don't think this is possible, that's because seeing the current rise of internet users and social networking site traffic like facebook, etc it is not possible that internet will be dead. However it is also not possible or convenient for anyone to use a mob app to search for information and purchase products, it is simply not convenient. And anyways you should never be completely dependent on Google as it is always not predictable as with just one Google Slap can put you down to 1027th position. However the links traffic from one website to another will always be there and the demand of content in the form of articles and videos will never end, this is my personal thought.

Murtuza

It might happen but not so fast that people will not have time to adjust. You won't just wake up one morning and people will have all of the sudden abandoned Google. The transition will be gradual. It might be apps or something else.

Not dead - but to put it simply, IMers will simply have to Flex their Imaginations and do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

Less than 10% of Americans have a smartphone that can access the internet.

Not to mention that 385 million computers are expected to sell in 2011, which is up 9.3% over last year.

Basically, don't believe the hype! Tablets and smartphones are cool, but they're not replacing the personal computer any time soon.

There are thousands of apps available on the iTunes App Store and Android Market, but most of them are NEVER sold.

If you want to make money, stick to building a list and promoting products that ACTUALLY sell.

silly, that's not true...the internet will never die. I agree with you in saying that it will shift to mobile devices - this shows change, and evolution - not death.

Here we go,

more ..."the end of the world, end of IM threads"

These never stop do they? LOL

No, the internet won't die that easily or quickly. Mobile is nice for some things, but it's not going to take over for all things. Think in particular of older internet users who may find the screen of a smart phone too small to comfortably use for many purposes. People will want laptop and desktop computers for some time to come.

Using the Internet using mobile phones is a pain in the rear.

We're all gonna die - are you gonna sit on your butt and moan 'til it happens or make the most of life's opportunities?

So what if the internet does get replaced? Much like life - make the most of what is available now

change yes, end? no. Eitherway the internet has and will always change and as IMers we simply gotta adapt.

Wait a week or a month, the drink a different coolaide.

The internet will NEVER DIE. It will definately morph into new forms.

What works now, might not work later, but something will replace it.

no it won't. but mobile traffic is getting more and more important (:

Why not make a site worth going to regardless of whether or not you pop up first in search? Why not make something so good that people have to tell their friends about? Then, if the internet blows up; who cares? When your site is worth going to...a real destination...people will find a way to find you. CT

It could happen, the way the Internet is going the social networks is king, so it only makes sense to ride the wave

Need not to worry, Internet is in the blood now, and even if mobile marketing gets profound, we will work for mobile marketing then..

It will never happen,

So what this report is saying is that people are only going to use their phones and apps to access the internet. That theory is insane and i think that the writer who dreamt this up should have themselved checked out. Have you note noticed that there's always storys of how facebook will close down on such and such a date and that the world will end in 2012...

It's all publicity, if i wrote a post on my blog or a report saying the world is going to end next week due to giant earth eating worms coming down from space and chomping us up would it receive a lot of attention? Of course it would because people would think it's so ridiculous.

What if i claimed that the internet will no long be accessable due to it reaching it's maximum bandwith and the whole thing will crash. Like you hear on the internet all the time, would that get a lot of attention? of course it would because online business owners and internet marketers get in a panic and start sharing the story and the link with all their friends like "OMG have you seen this we are f**ked"

It's just a quick way for somebody to get some attention or to make some extra money from their adsense blog.

Some of these people are publishing their mediocre idea without relevant basis. Once google owner shut down google. then thats the end...

yes you need to look at the source there are always going to be nay Sayers and depending on your own picture of the world and internet will determine which side of the fence you are on.

AARGH need to make my money quick.... Google will evolve just like everything else online. In the same way as internet marketers we will need to evolve with our techniques of marketing. Online commerce/trade will not disappear..

hi, first post but I have been working online since 1996. I'm a little surprised how people regards Google as the only other part of the Internet besides social networking. The other thing Google is not the only search engine and as far as I'm concerned if Google disappears then it would be SO MUCH BETTER... if you were online back in the good ole days in the late 90's and early naughties then you would have known how easy to was to make money any old way before Google became ruler of the web and we were all told to be good little children and play the game googles way. Before there were many search engines like Alta Vista, Yahoo, Webcrawler etc... I hope we see the end of Google sooner rather than later, in fact I hope the US government closes them down and makes Google split all it's sub companies up into separate business and make them sell them all and can keep one. It would certainly be good for the economy if these greedy people with the cute name were less dominant. Please stop worshipping this outfit Google, it is nothing but a huge monopoly money making company with a silly name that they hide behind.

I hate using my phone and using apps to search for anything? I do not know many people who use their mobile phone instead of their laptop ofte unless they are out and get lost (Google Maps) apart form that, this is rubbish!

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ok if this is true...what should we do about it then?
what should we do then? id be interested to know ...

Things are definately changing and mobile apps are certainly taking a stronger role. The people who can take advantage of the conveniences which smartphones bring and integrate effective advertising within that structure will do very well.

I agree that the days of people glued in front of their home computer screens is not nearly as prevelent. The ability to integrate conventional internet sites with mobile sites will only help businesses.

Ryan Deiss needs to sell something. He is out of ideas. I wouldn't be too worried

Things are definitively changing, and Internet Marketing is changing constantly, ever since it started. I have no crystal ball, but I doubt Google will be dead in a year or two. Maybe not as strong or merged with something else, but not dead.

I would say to keep doing what you are doing on the internet if it is working for you but at the same time be prepared for the changes that are ahead of you in the future.

I am sure mobile marketing will soon enough take over but it is going to take some time for the internet to completely die off and be overthrown by something "newer" and "better".

Lets see what happen next! No one can predict!

I don't see any dramatic changes as described by IMO happening in the next 5 years.

i dont think google will surrender against any social medias, now google itself in a good position after launching google plus to deal with facebook.

Adam

I am too thinking that it is not going to happen too soon. I have seen some future developments in one tech magazine recently and what is going to happen to the technology world in 5 years time did not really shock me too much. I am also agreeing that the world is evolving very quickly, but I am sure that slowly enough to let us IMs to adjust to changing conditions.

What he is saying is kind of true and it's already started - it is dying but I'm not sure about the timescales.

This article is a good overview of what is happening

The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet | Magazine

What is meant is actually the WEB is dying, not the internet. If you think about the way websites used to be 4 or 5 or even 10 years years ago. Sites are becming more and more tailored to the individual using the site, even Google is doing it

Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles" | Video on TED.com

Give it 2, 3 or 4 years i think it's safe to say the world and the internet will both be very different places. I think the traditional approach to internet marketing could very well be on it's last legs (i'm thinking blogs selling ebooks etc) - it doesn't mean to say that IM or selling on line has to die, it just will have to evolve alongside how people use the internet - think iTV, Mobile devices, technology such as Near field payment systems, QRTags, Augmented reality - this stuff is the future.

I'd be amazed if in 5 years we are using forums like this - i don't mean the content or 'social' places to share information ... i mean the PHPBB style stuff - already this forum (and pretty much every other) is starting to look tired, the youngsters of today do not really use forums - it's all social media... so i can see things changing VERY quickly VERY soon as this first internet generation become adults.

I dont know who wrote the report but im pretty certain its based on speculation and opinion rather than hard facts.

Im not worrying out it that way.

I want true facts, internet marketing has became insanely saturated but the internet is growing worldwide mind you. There will be no end of the Internet and internet marketing will always be profitable if done right. Technology is growing and this means an increase in the interest for blogs, google (organic searches) and etc.

Fear mongering.

i heard since 2006 that everything from adsense, affiliate marketing to whatever whatever soon will be death. now we are in 2011, the only one who death is newbies who seeking for perfect answer and magic button.

As far as phones or even tablets (basically mobile web and apps) killing off the full internet, I think that's not going to happen. In most cases, you can't even really use the internet full throttle without using a computer. I think that if the internet really ends it will be because of the web becoming a subscription based service which will be like cable t.v.... or as some fear, it could be brought down by terrorist hackers, but even that would probably be temporary. In short, I don't think we have much to worry about, at least not for a long time. I would be much more concerned about the economy than the internet itself.

Some say the world will end in 2012 ... and we'll all be dead.
Some say that 2012 is when the Age of Pisces just turns to the Age of Aquarius
so, maybe the "old world" will be dead.

But .. if the world is still here and electricity still works ... internet will be here too.

I would say don't give ear to these things,cause its worth nothing.there are people who love to do all these rubbish.

Don't worry about all this,cause this is worth nothing to get panic

If this thread goes on much longer it will be 2012 and we will all be able to see if the prediction is true or not! My little brain says that Google will be stronger than ever, using it will be more useful and fun than ever, and that Ryan Deiss will have to come up with a good excuse for getting it wrong!

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I would stop reading that crap. Do you really believe this? The only thing that could really cause it all to go wrong is the world governments taking control of the internet and shutting down a lot of marketing. Although I really don't know how they'd do that either.

I do hope this isn't a real question...?

It's bad enough we have lunatics trying to convince everyone the end of the world is in December, now we have people trying to convince everyone the end of the internet is near?

These changes are gradual. Just adapt slowly but surely. For example with the app thing, just convert you site into an app as well so people can receive your site on traditional computers, mobile internet, as well as in app form. Some of the biggest sites already do that. Also, when you search for specific information, its almost impossible to get it without using a search engine in some way.

You are right that more people are searching for information on mobile technology, but these days with resposive themes, they will automatically adjust. For example,when I see my Adsense report I can see that around 30% of earnings now come from mobile platforms like tablets and mobile phones.