Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated

Most people prefer to keep their private information under their

Ray Kurzweil, Books and essays, 1999, published 1999-01

There are services to keep one’s digital objects in central repositories, but most people prefer to keep their private information under their own physical control.

Source

Verdict

hitTwo blind graders agree (D7, rule D16). The auditor agent confirmed it (D11).

Grader A: hit

Central repositories existed in 2009 (webmail, online photo and file storage), and 69% of US internet users used at least one such service in 2008. But most personal files (documents, photos, music) stayed on users' own PCs, and 90% of users said they would be very concerned if a provider sold their data. The two-part description matches 2009.

Test: Two-part test: central storage services used by at least 20% of users (69% used some cloud service, mostly webmail) and the majority of personal files still kept locally (online file storage was a minority activity in 2008-2009).

Use of Cloud Computing Applications and Services (Pew Research Center) (2008-09-12): 69% used some cloud service; 90% would be very concerned if providers sold their data.

Grader B: hit

Online file repositories existed (Dropbox had 3M users by Nov 2009, plus webmail and photo sites), but most people kept their files on their own PCs and drives in 2009.

Test: User test: cloud file-sync users ~1-2% of internet users in 2009; local storage the majority practice.

Wikipedia: Dropbox (accessed 2026-09-28): Dropbox launched 2008; 3M users Nov 2009, 50M Oct 2011, 100M Nov 2012.

All captured fields

rank: 11
kind: decade_prediction
section: Computers
subject: Most people prefer to keep their private information under their
target year: 2009
timing: in
position: Chapter 9, "2009"; item Computers 11 in Kurzweil 2010, p. 19
confidence: high
note: Wording as reproduced by the author in "How My Predictions Are Faring" (2010); book page not given there. Subject label is the essay's own item heading.