In the resulting manifesto, entitled “Information Management: A Proposal“, Berners-Lee suggests the we “should work toward a universal linked information system.”  Every student of web design should read it and understand the origins of the industry.  It is an amazing path that the Web has taken in its course to ubiquity and utility but it all started, like most great inventions, as just an idea in someone’s head.

Today we’re comfortable with the rapid dissemination of information and ideas from one side of the globe to the other. What’s in Tokyo today can be in Tehran tomorrow and vice versa.

When physical things reach a certain size – being pocketable seems about right, their ability to be picked up and moved around increases considerably. All things being equal small objects much like ideas, travel further, travel faster. They are put into bags, pockets and inevitably are introduced to people in far off lands. And if those people in far off lands like and value them enough, the container ships follow.

Thoughts for today: Which of today’s large objects are likely to minaturise to the point of of being pocketable? What features and functionality are you likely to find added to today’s already-pocketable objects? What activities and consequent behaviours do these new features and products enable? Think adoption and adaptation of trends.

And the photos? Livestrong bracelets from Delhi (above) and Accra (below). Not given as an example of the adoption of Livestrong and everything it stands for, but rather an example of an object as a vehicle for personal decoration + fashion + status. Both, incidentally likely to be locally manufactured.

Objects below a certain size tend to be clustered (keys) and/or contained (credit cards). As pocketable objects continue to minaturise – what is the affect on their speed of distribution? The speed of adoption? The speed of trends?