Behind the Bandwidth: Supporting ‘EPIC 2014’ and Its Digital Prophecy
Back in the early 2000s, a fascinating video made its rounds on the internet, known as “EPIC 2014” or the “Googlezon” video. Created by Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson, it stood out for offering a bold look at the future of the internet and media. This was a time before YouTube became the go-to for video sharing, and those who had the means often helped by hosting videos on their servers to make sure everyone could watch. I was one of those people, and I hosted the video on epic.lightover.com to help out. It’s a throwback to when the internet community worked together to spread interesting and important content.
The video itself paints a picture of a future where Google and Amazon merge into a giant company called “Googlezon.” They launch something called “EPIC” (Evolving Personalized Information Construct), which changes how we get our news. Instead of journalists gathering and reporting news, this system uses algorithms to find and tailor news for each person’s interests. It’s a world where the newsfeed is personalized for everyone, making traditional journalism seem outdated. The idea was pretty out there but also made people think about where technology and media were heading.
Watching “EPIC 2014” now feels like peeking into a crystal ball that got a lot right about the future. It guessed how big tech companies could control our news and information, and how algorithms could decide what we see every day. Even though it was just a speculation, the video highlighted big questions about privacy, the power of tech companies, and how we stay informed. It’s a conversation that’s even more relevant today as we navigate the impact of social media and the internet on how we understand the world around us.