The Web is Dead

. . . . . . so what?

Well, really, I don't think the web is dead quite yet. But maybe one day it will be - but who says that is such a terrible thing? Sure, it's different and new and presents challenges, but so did the creation of the web in the first place. Things change. It happens. Chris Anderson talks in the 'We are to blame' section of this article that railroads, telephones, and electricity all started with one company, grew to many, and then were dominated again by one. Who expected the web to be any different?

Anderson also says that apps are taking over and replacing the web. While I can see this as partially true, I also think he is exaggerating a bit. Sure, I have an iPod, but I really only use it for music - not Twitter, facebook, or internet surfing, unless class is super boring. The iPad is popular, but I think a bit overdone, and I know few people that use Pandora regularly. RSS is almost unheard-of outside of more computer savvy circles and I only know one person who uses Netflix's streaming service, and that's because he can't get any cable without paying a buttload. Sure, apps are super popular, but I don't think I can agree with 'The Web is Dead' until they have completely permeated our lives - and that includes even those people who don't use technology that much.

As to who to blame, I think I agree with the 'Them' side. Sure, we buy these apps and use them and seem to sometimes forget about actual web browsing, but we couldn't do that if they weren't offered to us in the first place. It's like a child growing up in a house full of unhealthy food - if they grow up to be overweight or unhealthy, the fact that the parents bought all that stuff in the first place is largely to blame. If they did not keep unhealthy food in the house, the child could not eat it. The corporations and companies that create these alternatives for us give us the opportunities to utilize other forms of internet interaction, and if they don't like how the internet is changing, then they should do something to fix it.

Also, I spite the creators of the Kindles and iPod apps for books. That is one area of new technology I cannot condone. Actual books are so much better than any application. Don't want to read it on your laptop? Go get some paper you lazy bum.

Web is Dead Article