As you might have heard, right now there’s a big debate regarding the future of the web. Some people argue that the web as we know it is dying, and that it’s going to be replaced by a closed web, experienced through individual apps like the mobile ones. Others argue that this won’t happen, and that the web will remain open and accessible mainly via the browser, be it on a mobile device or on a desktop computer.
Given the rampant growth of the mobile industry and of the closed app store eco-systems (mostly Apple’s and Google’s) it’s easy to see why so many people believe that the web as we know is going to die. But can apps really substitute all the web has to offer?
I started thinking about it, and I came to the conclusion that no, apps can’t substitute all the web has to offer. More specifically, there’s one key aspect of the web which I think is its greatest value and also the hardest aspect to substitute: its open architecture based on hyperlinks.
We take it for granted, but when you think about it you can see the immense power behind an open architecture based on links between the various elements inside it. It basically creates an eco-system that is:
- dynamic (i.e., constantly changing)
- self-adjusting (i.e., the good stuff eventually rise to the top, and vice-versa)
- meritocratic (i.e., the better the stuff you create, the more benefits you’ll reap)
And this eco-system becomes a perfect platform to store and access information. For instance, imagine Wikipedia without hyperlinks. It wouldn’t be half as useful, right?
Sure, closed and independent apps are useful in many cases, and they probably are here to stay, but until someone comes up with a better structure to organize documents and information the web will remain pervasive.
Source: Dailyblogtips
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