My background is in software engineering and what some dinosaurs still point to with big narly sticks as “proper code”. I have dropped that habit though for many reasons beyond my love of design and chance to unit my two passions in life. Recently, I was asked to develop a system for the company I work for to manage adverts. Without a second thought I based the system on an intranet rather than turning to my old drugs of java or c++. There was no option in my mind whether you agree or disagree with my choice. I have yet to find something in the years since I got hooked on web programming to find something I had to turn back to the old drugs to accomplish.
With the range of Web API and the new breed of psuedo-applications (for me this refers to websites that do everything an application would) out there it seems I am not the only one to turn to the web for a total solution either. It is a natural evolution of any coding language – from the baby first step procedural scripting through to the first job object orientation. I think this is a good and also obvious stage. The creators of coding languages may have an intention at the birth but the child can often vary from the ideal. Infact, in the case of so many I think that maybe the ideal wasn’t actual ideal and it’s nature and nurture brings the best fruit.
I think that these can be seen as example from Flickr, Amazon, Ebay, Delicious through – where the line ends is purely up to the individual. These are useful, these are a natural progression and for me open up the possibilities. A website isn’t just about being another advertisement, a voice or simply just for looking at pictures of hilarity. It can be a focal point for life – in the sense that we use windows and other traditionally thought of applications.
As a computer is dependent on electricity – a web based application is yes dependent on the web and a connection. Yet, this isn’t the rarity it was – infact it is common places. The number of web users is increasing at a rate so rapid it makes your eyes water. This yes creates a technology gap that has to be addressed on a government level, but that is another matter for discussion. I find myself more and more using the net. Bar going off to use programs to make stuff for the web I would say that 90% of my time is hooked online now. This is of course due partially to the nature of my profession, but that doesn’t seem to be exclusive to web workers. You might have to go through an OS to get online but how many applications are there really on your computer now? I remember when you couldn’t see wallpaper for applications, it seems rather bare now on my desktop. The majority is either browsers for testing, API to websites or things to make websites. The death of the application as so far as anything that isn’t incorporating API is pretty much getting to the death rattle stage on my computer.
