Questioning the Future Web

Hi folks. The web 2.0 buzz is not over yet. We still see how old webs are transformed into more catchy and responsive web 2.0. We see extensive usage of gradation colors and light color schemes for the user interfaces. We also see how social networking applications are built which rely on user-centric contribution (or distributed contribution) instead of the old centralized and wholly administered classic webs.

Still, the web is evolving today as it was in the past. At the surface, we see how the paradigm toward the existence of web has shifted. Thanks to all web advocates who provide good reasonings to the management so that web is accepted as a part of the industry, a powerful marketing means, company’s brand and front-office. Thanks to all web PRs who provide shelters for information seekers and access for contributors in their managed and promoted sites. Thanks to all of us because we have contributed to the spreading of web evangelization, either voluntarily or paid, consciously or unconsciously, by adding contents to webs we visit, social apps we use, forums we participate, etc. We have helped the web to evolve and the evolution will resort to revisiting the web terminology, web infrastructures. We are questioning the future web. What will the future web look like? What will the future web serve us?

Talking about future functionalities, we need to revisit the underlying technologies, the infrastructure. Web is not simply about client, server, and the network. There is “magic” -which is actually the fruit of outstanding researches- that can make web function as it is now. And there is more “magic” to be invented which will discern future web from its current state.

Some people have proposed Comet as a new infrastructure for real-time web. At the network part, we are seeing how IPv6 is deployed to manage ubiquitous network, where we will later witness the web become more portable and accessible. There are also some other people working on ultra fast ethernet (it’s the gigabit era and the faster ethernet will emerge) which in turn will enable us to stream HD videos provided by streaming web service from our mobile devices at optimum bit rate.

With all of the emerging technologies, our life should get easier. However, as we have seen negative impact from the penetration of the web, we have to stay alert and cautious from the unexpected impact of ubiquity and openness which are two of the characteristics of future web.

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