I can't get Jaron Lanier's soundbite of the future, as reported in Wired, out of my head.
The piece on the lead scientist of the US National Tele-Immersion Initiative, says:
Big Idea: "This is a scenario that might be termed 'Planet of the Help Desks,'in which the human race will be largely engaged in maintaining very large software systems."
Caveat: "It is not an entirely unappealing prospect, since it would keep humanity gainfully employed."