Jon's Radio
I have previously noticed that more and more apps are coming up with web based interfaces. People find them easier to use, and a lot of applications can be made so that they are web enabled. And more and more I am beginning to like the idea. The ease with which these applications can be accessed locally and remotely is amazing. With PHP and Python the interface can be made so that it rarely lacking. XUL which is the interface language for mozilla brought to us what is called the rich environment. However not many people used this environment. Now Microsoft is trying to bring forth a competitor called Avalon because they realize how useful it is to have a rich interface that can be easily put forht on the web. The only problem is that they want to ensure user lock in, and hence Avalon is nothing like XUL. Ofcourse there are deeper technical reasons for Microsoft to do this, but the threat to open source software is very real, IMHO.
Introduction of Avalon means that new software written to take advantage of Avalons API will be restricted to the Windows Longhorn platform. Slowly Microsoft wants to move its applications, Web Sites and developers to this new API locking them in. And this means that once again internet users will have to either use Windows or stick with opensource. They will not be able to use both as they can at present. I dont have an answer to this problem. The one thing that open source and other independant developers have on thier side is time. Right now there are other alternative technologies that can be used and exploited now, and if enough costumer base builds up by the time longhorn and avalon are ready, Microsoft will have no option but to support the open technologies rather than forcing thier closed technologies down our throats. Longhorn is incredibly dangerous IMHO... something must be done.
