Oh the heady days when everything cool on the internet came from one of the 50 states. Those days are gone, but the U.S. has managed to maintain dominance among the ruling class of the Internet nevertheless, however, those days may be fading as well.

Within a few years, China's population of Internet users will outnumber those in the U.S., changing the dominant language and, according to the Pew Internet Trust and American Life project, could cause significant tensions in "cyberspace".

LiveScience reports on the potential changes, "The difference between Chinese and Western approaches to the Internet could create additional sore points over human rights and problems with restrictions on non-Chinese companies." Citing the significant difference between monitoring and policing of content between U.S. and Chinese authorities, the report paints a picture of possible doom and gloom.

All hope isn't lost however. Skeptics point out that a combined English speaking force of North American and European users is likely to trump the Chinese presence for some time to come.