"I predict that the profession known as "author" will be retired to history in my lifetime, like blacksmith and cowboy. In the future, everyone will be a writer, and some will be better and more prolific than others. But no one will pay to read what anyone else creates."<p>Hopefully the future for authors isn't that bleak, but I do see a major change on the horizon. I'm somewhat surprised that the "Social" websites like facebook haven't become breeding grounds for copyright infringement like the old social apps (IRC).