I wrote the original article over ten years ago and a few things have changed in that time. Now there are many tech companies who understand the web and many people understand the importance of this tool. In my opinion, many of these companies are still stuck in the past as they focus on business models of what has been. The names and type of businesses are new, such as social media, the gig economy, personal vacation rentals, music streaming and other various technospeak. I don’t see innovation, I see the use of technology to increase the profit on existing services not new ideas. The innovation and disruption is the ability to remove old gatekeepers and reach people directly. When people are used to the new model, they find out there are still gatekeepers that are ow unregulated and racing to the bottom in quality and service to maximize profits.
I still keep an eye out for some true innovation, but I doubt we will have another breakthrough like the world wide web in our life time. (Although anything is possible, I suppose. 🙂 I would like to see increased focus on stabilizing software development and improving development methods. Based on my observations, software development is still very dependent on individual talent with a lot of variation between developers. Each new generation keeps adding layers of abstraction in software development tools while the framework is all based on figuring out if a bit of electronic storage is on or off.
To make a true change would require either new insights into the models used for development or building a completely new platform based on different assumptions. Quantum computing could provide a jumping off point for that new platform, but I am discouraged at the current approach. I found a method for quantum computing is to use current software languages and attach a quantum environment as a library that is called for specific functions In my opinion, this will allow developers to create junk much more quickly and in innovative new ways by using the same tools. The advantage of this approach is reducing the learning curve for this new field by not starting from scratch. However, it will also leave in the current problems with computing that lead to the errors that occur in our current environment. Something should change and the good news is that with the focus on cybersecurity, change will happen.
In the meantime, here is an article from many years ago, with some extensive editing for this republish.
Original article Published on 08/09/2007, change to update on issues in 2021
When I saw the Netscape Browser used some 10+ years ago*, I became interested in developing for the web. I was very interested in the potential of the web and the connection of information and data. Over the years I’ve tried to keep up with new technical developments, although that gets harder as I get older. However, I am always interested in the latest fad sites, just in case some bit of actual innovation has crept in.
I’m not interested in the just developed, here take a look, isn’t this cutting edge type of innovation. That type of cutting edge development tends to cut deeply and leave the developer and user’s blood on the floor when it is used. In the early days there was a lot of new ideas that were tried out and it was fascinating to see the view others had of this world wide web. I am also amused by traditional companies, even technical ones, who don’t quite ‘get’ what the true potential of the web is. With computers, current operating systems, software, and the Internet, the potential to link the data, use the data to generate content and provide all of this at a relatively low cost, is under used. Instead, many companies are focused on the lowest common denominator type of design, a design that focuses on measuring one or two metrics that will somehow translate into many dollars flowing from the user/customer to the company. With this virtual world there is an abundance while companies are working to make scarcity in order to fit financial models that are based on a scarcity of resources in the world.
This mentality leads to tools that focus on activities that beef up the bottom line with occasional side effects that boost creativity. Unfortunately, too much creativity may also boost competition to existing companies, so it is not in their best interest to make certain activities too easy. By keeping users locked into a platform, it keeps the company profitable, even if it does not add much, if any value to humans in the real world.
These choices are seen in the release of tools that make it easy for people with no technical background to publish web pages. These tools are called social media but that is a fancy name for the ability to publish content without knowing about all of the software running the site. These tools are paid for by analyzing the people posting content and allowing advertisers to pay for ads to all of these users. So long as the platforms are paid for with advertising dollars, social media will strive to keep users locked in so they can sell more and more ads. Individual web hosting is an alternative, but the costs is a deterrent for most people. The cost is not just financial, it includes the technical expertise to setup and maintain a site, stay current with cybersecurity issues and run a site that users can trust with their data. Meanwhile, the people creating content on social media fight for traffic and recognition, paying higher and higher fees to notify their audience of new content.
When I first wrote this article, I focused on the lack of understanding of the new web development tools, tools which created bloated pages that did not work well with the average user download experience. The pages were meant to work with a high bandwidth connection or were based on the high resolution required for printing. These problems eventually resolved, with increased bandwidth and tools that are efficient in saving files for the web. However, the tools for publishing a web page on your own site are still complicated and expensive so people are forced to use social media sites to reach others, because they don’t have the necessary skill set. Companies focus on locking people to their site, no matter what effects this lock-in might have on the users.
However, there is still something to remember – the Internet can’t really be completely controlled and it’s better to try and play well with others. There are people working to overcome these difficulties in spite of the obstacles. The Internet is built on the idea of routing around obstacles in order to keep communication flowing. One artist I read has slowly seen his audience drop as the social media platform has blocked his posts from his audience unless he pays to boost his posts. So he set up a newsletter, asked his audience to subscribe. Now the audience is notified when he wants to share his content and is not dependent on the whims of the social media platform. I expect to see other workarounds pop up as artists, writers and other creators find cost effective ways to reach their audience with more control.
Think about it, this communication channel, the Internet, is something that can’t be completely controlled by an individual, a corporation or even a government. Yes, all of those entities are trying to exert control and in some areas they can exert strong influence. But the very design of the Internet allows for the setup of nodes that fall outside of some central control. As companies and countries exercise control, blocking off sites they find offensive while promoting sites for their aims, it may seem like the web is controlled and there is not much hope of new innovation. However, there are people trying new ideas, gathering people around them and inventing some new things while incorporating the best of the old into their ideas.
So what I am looking for when I look at the fad sites are for those sites who ‘get it’ and understand more of what the web is about. It’s about innovation, but it’s also about choices and freedom for the users of the sites. Companies may be successful at lock-in right now but I see the signs that the situation will change. In the meantime, I’ll continue to keep an eye out for that fad site that brings back that same excitement I had when I saw Netscape used on a fast connection to the Internet. There are a lot more ideas, inventions, and innovation to explore.
*now 20 years