#15 - Where do you see the direction of the web going?
Eric Smith - Mind Architecture - I see the future of the internet (or some future version of the internet) as being the ubiquitous glue that holds all technology together. AJAX and Web 2.0 have popularized the idea of using web pages/sites as applications and that trend will continue as more and more of our desktop only apps (like word processors, email clients, games, etc.) have an internet version then go completely internet-based.
This will offer many advantages to end-users and software publishers alike.
End-users can access their applications anywhere, connect with internet-enabled devices from anywhere, and don’t have to worry about software licensing between various devices as their single log-in to the vendors site will contain their license.
Software publishers will be able to instantly update their applications without the need for patches and be able to better control privacy by not distributing hard copies of their work and by tying a license to a log-in and not to an id on a physical product.