Things are getting faster, people.

There are 1.8B Internet users in the world today and they are all collectively tired of hitting the ‘refresh’ button to get the latest information. Enter real-time web.

What is it? The best example you’ve probably encountered is the newest Facebook redesign that refreshes your news feed automatically. In short, this is the entire concept – latest information coming to you without you having to ask your browser to synchronize.

Google has already incorporated real-time results into their searches, Twitter is obviously the very personification of real-time, and many other information providers are jumping on the bandwagon.

What does this all mean to you, lowly Internet user? For one, the original killer-app, email, may be on its way out – it’s simply too slow for what we’ve now come to expect (it may also be too private and not collaborative enough, but that’s a story for another post). Additionally, knowing that information comes to you faster, companies are able to offer their consumers time-sensitive deals via Twitter and other social media platforms.

Personally, I like all this speed – I say, the faster the better. Plus, if it saves me the trouble of pushing ‘refresh’ – my index finger thanks this new technology. Do you like your web in real-time? Discuss!