The facts are obvious. I haven’t posted anything for a year. “To delete or not delete” that’s the question. I’ll guess I keep it for now, and maybe I get back to write something someday.
If the web is dying, what will we loose?
Chris Anderson claimed as a front page story on wired that the Web is dead. This touches upon several of my not so many blog posts; web vs app.
First, for full disclosure. Personally, web together and the “generative” personal computer is something I value strongly. Both gave me the incredible rush that I can do it. Me and my friends can do it. The same kind of DIY energy of punk rock and early hip hop. The company I work for shares my affection for the open Web. Of course, I do not like statements like “the web is dead” So; what is the differences between web and apps? First, the web is – at least in principle – genuinely open. If you have an Internet connection, a browser and an URL, off you go. An app has to be distributed, downloaded and installed. Furthermore, depending of your app platform of choice, there are several potential points of control between you as a user and the app developer.
I guess most user does not care about that as long as things work. At least good iPhone and Android apps can have great usability. Nevertheless, there are downsides. First, apps get updates. You can of course ignore the messages, and I have to say that an update seldom provides eye striking new functionality. Second, reading news in apps is like being back on paper. There is no outbound links. We have this wonderful thing, and suddenly we accept to be limited to one magazine or newspaper.
I am a Mac user. I have two, and an Iphone and an iPad. The iPhone has a great email client, runs good RSS-readers, Instapaper, Kindle, Dropbox (a USB-stick in the sky), Things, calendar and of course web browsers. The same goes for the Mac; great email clients, browsers, rss-readers etc etc. A great looking slide deck ends with “API first. Think service, not app” (I haven’t heard the voice over, but enjoys Lego slides). Tripit has an iPhone app but more importantly an API for my calendars. RSS is something that makes me able to pick the voices I want to listen to.
So, if the web is dying because of apps we are all losing. At least the one of us who loves the the concept of the URL and openness. I really hope not we end up in a situation as before 1994.
EU consultation on net neutrality
EU has published a consultation on the open internet net neutrality. I have to say that their questions is clearly focused on net neutrality – “open Internet” in general. I can recommend Chris Marsden’s draft answers (and also both his blog and his book (Amazon/PDF))
Google is shutting down their Nexus One online store
It is not easy to change how people buy stuff. In a previous post, I described two reasons for why Google launched a Google Phone:
1. Secure overall user experience quality (solve a coordination problem by vertical integration)
2. Change how mobile phones are sold in the US (first choose phone, then choose carrier and subscription)
It seems like they didn’t succeed with reason #2. Google is now changing the distribution model for Nexus One, and will use traditional channels. Mobile operator’s can do more than providing wireless access to the Internet. Google’s blog post emphasize that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone. I have to say that I’m more likely to get a Nexus One after trying it.
John Paczkowski in Digital Daily commented:
So was Google’s strategy for the Nexus One doomed from the beginning? Probably. Customer behavior is a tough enough thing to change. Disincentives like Google’s questionable customer support and a pair of early termination fees on a device Google was asking us to buy without even touching it certainly didn’t help.
I think that Google also has considered their strategic signals towards manufacturers of Android devices. Google’s vertical integration to create a Google phone is not unproblematic in this strategic interaction. They are changing the soon to be closed Nexus One store into a showcase for Android devices.
From retail to viewing. Once we have increased the availability of Nexus One devices in stores, we’ll stop selling handsets via the web store, and will instead use it as an online store window to showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.
This seems like a sound decision.
On App vs Web
I came across this on The 2010 O’Reilly Where 2.0 Conference archive of keynote presentation. Jonathan Stark makes a strong argument for the Web.
His points on beta testing were new to me, and I really like his slide deck.
