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- Developer notes on the next evolution of browsers and searchSeptember 2
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In the last week or so Mozilla, Microsoft and Google all announced similar, separate strategies for dominating the next evolution of the web (and search) through significant change in the way people use browser technology. Much of it centers on that little search box at the upper right hand corner of the browser. In general, however, it’s the ongoing recognition that the browser, along with open technologies (JavaScript, HTML, etc.) and “cloud computing”, is the future of application development and deployment.
I’ve put down some notes and some relevant links in order to capture my thoughts about these changes. I wouldn’t look too hard for a coherent narrative. These are just notes, like I said.
First, a quick recap of what’s happened.
Microsoft releases the IE8 beta and unveils a strategy that takes the focus away from individual search engines and puts it on search functionality in context. The IE8 context, that is.
Mozilla Labs announces the Ubiquity project and unveils a strategy that takes the focus away from individual search engines and puts it on search functionality in context. A Firefox based mashup context, that is.
And finally, Google announces the Chrome browser, based on the acclaimed
- Why release Alpha (or Beta) software?July 13
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Some thoughts I put down over at the Gridjit Blog.
- Google has trained us all to think like marketersJuly 7
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This is just a meditation, not a peer-reviewed academic piece (which will become quite obvious), but I thought I would share it for anyone who might find it relevant to their work lives. Think of it as a devil’s advocacy piece to anyone (including myself) who finds themselves dreaming up and building technology solutions for a living.
Google (and others, of course) have successfully trained an entire generation of technologists to think like marketers and that might not be a good thing.
There are many benefits to the way technology development is shaping up. Hackers / developers, engineers, etc. are learning, in greater numbers, about how to run businesses on fewer resources, speak with investors, automate critical processes and sell useful products without the help of MBA / marketing types. This is certainly a good thing both for investors and for entrepreneurs as it removes unnecessary and expensive layers of management that, in many cases, should not exist in early stage companies.
As a result of all this contact with VCs and exposure to a business mindset, however, we have formed a few habits that probably require some thought. Primarily, it is this: hackers these days have a tendency to view their applications as marketing channels, best or most easily monetized by some sort of advertising / affiliate reward / product upsell.
Don’t get me wrong - in the business we’re in, these are often perfectly legitimate business models and I don
- The New Gridjit BlogJune 18
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Is now at blog.gridjit.com. Please update your feeds / bookmarks.
- Why you shouldn’t listen to “hasn’t someone done that already?”June 6
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A frequent comment that entrepreneurs hear when they share product ideas is “Hasn’t someone already done that?”
It’s probably one of the most annoying comments one can hear, not because it’s not true (it is) but because it glosses over the entire history of innovation and assigns way too much credit to incumbent players. Think of it as the inverse to the mind-numbing “is y the new x killer?” worldview.
It’s a big market out there. If you think you can do something better, give it a try. Just don’t start off by wanting to kill something else. That’s not very creative.
As a response for anyone faced with this question, I decided to create a short list (of 20, albeit somewhat from a geek’s perspective) products that came after “someone had already done it before.” These randomly popped into my head as I started to catalog what I use on a regular basis:
1. Google Search (and their revenue model)
2. Adobe Flex
3. iPod (and almost all of Apple’s products)
4. Firefox
6. JetBlue