If you build it, will they come? Or did they want it in the first place?

We were talking in a session yesterday about how different generations (x, y, z) push take up of new technology and how as these generations get older, will their habits change.

So this got me thinking (insert Carrie Bradshaw reference here) what comes first, the need or the technology? Now I’m no expert but it seems to me that when the www was born, the way we use it today might not have been the intent but here we are, pretty much unable to live without it. In fact, governments are spending big dollars on trying to ensure equitable access, not only to the internet but it’s getting even more important that everyone has access at the fastest speed possible.

 So, my question is, in the advent of sites such as myspace, youtube and all the rest, what came first: the ability to build the technology and show how clever we are or the need to share ourselves with the world?