The Wired cover story on “The Web is Dead? A Debate” has in fact caused an intense debate of the question, taking place – of course – on the web. It may be seen as somewhat ironic that on just the following day we get two pieces of news from Google that would point in the other direction: a demo of the future of browser games and a Chrome OS tablet together with Verizon (aside: sure didn’t take long after their joint pronouncement on net neutrality). Much has been made of the potential shift ...

The Wired cover story on “The Web is Dead? A Debate” has in fact caused an intense debate of the question, taking place – of course – on the web. It may be seen as somewhat ironic that on just the following day we get two pieces of news from Google that would point in the other direction: a demo of the future of browser games and a Chrome OS tablet together with Verizon (aside: sure didn’t take long after their joint pronouncement on net neutrality). Much has been made of the potential shift ...

Periodically, I find that a week comes along in which a ton of important stuff on and for the web comes to a boil all at once. This is one of those weeks. Here are just some of the things that I am looking atThe Release of Office 2010 and the fight between hybrid mode (desktop + web) versus online only Facebook’s extraordinarily complex privacy settings and its all-hands meeting to address the issue at the same time as the small alternative Diaspora project gets big time press and becomes a b...

Periodically, I find that a week comes along in which a ton of important stuff on and for the web comes to a boil all at once. This is one of those weeks. Here are just some of the things that I am looking atThe Release of Office 2010 and the fight between hybrid mode (desktop + web) versus online only Facebook’s extraordinarily complex privacy settings and its all-hands meeting to address the issue at the same time as the small alternative Diaspora project gets big time press and becomes a b...

Following up to yesterday’s post, here is what I think folks should do about the threat of platform lock-in at the application/content layer. First, recognize that this is directly related to net neutrality. The ability of existing platforms and content owners to try to force the web back into walled gardens is limited by the ability of entrepreneurs to start open competitors and reach people directly and on a level playing field. Second, start voting with your mouse. At the moment we have en...

Following up to yesterday’s post, here is what I think folks should do about the threat of platform lock-in at the application/content layer. First, recognize that this is directly related to net neutrality. The ability of existing platforms and content owners to try to force the web back into walled gardens is limited by the ability of entrepreneurs to start open competitors and reach people directly and on a level playing field. Second, start voting with your mouse. At the moment we have en...

Yesterday, Tim O'Reilly published a provocatively titled post: “The War for the Web." In it he discusses the dangers to the web as an open platform from the attempts by the biggest players to own more and more of the user experience: We’re heading into a war for control of the web. And in the end, it’s more than that, it’s a war against the web as an interoperable platform. Instead, we’re facing the prospect of Facebook as the platform, Apple as the platform, Google as the platform, Amaz...

Yesterday, Tim O'Reilly published a provocatively titled post: “The War for the Web." In it he discusses the dangers to the web as an open platform from the attempts by the biggest players to own more and more of the user experience: We’re heading into a war for control of the web. And in the end, it’s more than that, it’s a war against the web as an interoperable platform. Instead, we’re facing the prospect of Facebook as the platform, Apple as the platform, Google as the platform, Amaz...

Last week’s overview of “How the Web Works” introduced the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) as the fundamental way things are addressed on the web. Before we pick apart some actual URLs, it is worth looking at the name itself. The promise behind “Uniform” is that this addressing scheme can be used across all kinds of resources and that explains why URLs are so powerful - they can be used to address content such as a blog but also services such as the Twilio telephony API. On the web a blog entr...

Last week’s overview of “How the Web Works” introduced the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) as the fundamental way things are addressed on the web. Before we pick apart some actual URLs, it is worth looking at the name itself. The promise behind “Uniform” is that this addressing scheme can be used across all kinds of resources and that explains why URLs are so powerful - they can be used to address content such as a blog but also services such as the Twilio telephony API. On the web a blog entr...

Today we are continuing with the web cycle that I outlined two weeks ago. After a URL has been parsed in Step 1, the browser needs to determine the IP address for the domain as Step 2. Reprising the previous example, let’s consider the domain name dailylit.com. How does the browser determine that in order to retrieve information from this domain it should access a server at IP address 72.32.133.224? This is accomplished via a system called DNS, which stands for Domain Name System, and provide...

Today we are continuing with the web cycle that I outlined two weeks ago. After a URL has been parsed in Step 1, the browser needs to determine the IP address for the domain as Step 2. Reprising the previous example, let’s consider the domain name dailylit.com. How does the browser determine that in order to retrieve information from this domain it should access a server at IP address 72.32.133.224? This is accomplished via a system called DNS, which stands for Domain Name System, and provide...

Much of how users initially experience a service depends on the activation process. It is fair to say that on the net the expectation has become that services will work instantly. For instance, in video, we are no longer willing to wait for a movie to download first. Instead, we want it to start from the second we hit the play button. We try to get all of our portfolio companies focused on this initial portion of the experience. This is generally easier for consumer oriented services, but jus...

Much of how users initially experience a service depends on the activation process. It is fair to say that on the net the expectation has become that services will work instantly. For instance, in video, we are no longer willing to wait for a movie to download first. Instead, we want it to start from the second we hit the play button. We try to get all of our portfolio companies focused on this initial portion of the experience. This is generally easier for consumer oriented services, but jus...

ICANN once in a while approves a new top level domain (TLD). The latest one that is coming up is .tel (with a sunrise period for existing trademark holders starting December 3, 2009). I consider this a form of highway robbery. Every time ICANN does this existing domain and trademark owners essentially have no choice but to also register their domain under this new TLD or risk having someone squat their name. On the one hand one might argue that the price is low enough so that folks should not...

ICANN once in a while approves a new top level domain (TLD). The latest one that is coming up is .tel (with a sunrise period for existing trademark holders starting December 3, 2009). I consider this a form of highway robbery. Every time ICANN does this existing domain and trademark owners essentially have no choice but to also register their domain under this new TLD or risk having someone squat their name. On the one hand one might argue that the price is low enough so that folks should not...

As promised at the end of last year’s Tech Tuesday, we are starting this year with a cycle on how the web works. Just as a reminder, Tech Tuesday’s aim is to require no previous knowledge other than what has been covered before. So this overview may be trivial for some readers but I wanted to make sure to bring everyone along. Let’s assume you have fired up your favorite web browser. Now you type the address “dailylit.com” into the address bar (if you always go to web sites by typing their na...

As promised at the end of last year’s Tech Tuesday, we are starting this year with a cycle on how the web works. Just as a reminder, Tech Tuesday’s aim is to require no previous knowledge other than what has been covered before. So this overview may be trivial for some readers but I wanted to make sure to bring everyone along. Let’s assume you have fired up your favorite web browser. Now you type the address “dailylit.com” into the address bar (if you always go to web sites by typing their na...

Whenever I have an idea for a blog post, I add it to a running list. The idea for today’s post came to me during Web 2 Summit and I wish I had posted it then because it would look more prescient. Oh well – here it goes a bit late. Yesterday reports surfaced that Microsoft is working on a new TV service that would be an alternative to the offerings from cable providers. That could be terrific for consumers by expanding choice and finally driving down price, assuming for a moment that bandwidth...

Whenever I have an idea for a blog post, I add it to a running list. The idea for today’s post came to me during Web 2 Summit and I wish I had posted it then because it would look more prescient. Oh well – here it goes a bit late. Yesterday reports surfaced that Microsoft is working on a new TV service that would be an alternative to the offerings from cable providers. That could be terrific for consumers by expanding choice and finally driving down price, assuming for a moment that bandwidth...