October 24, 2003

A Vision of the Future of the Web

Eric Meyer has an interesting post on some new Microsoft technology (XAML) and what it could mean for the future of the web. Oh, and Meyer doesn't see a happy future:

Permit me to repeat myself: "When one company owns the medium, everyone else loses." Everyone from design firms to tool vendors to browser makers will have to dance to Microsoft's tune. We have until about 2007, maybe 2008, to prevent that from happening. Can it be done? How? By whom? If XAML lives up to its potential, Microsoft won't need the W3C any more. Why should they play by the open community's rules when they can create their own very lucrative and highly controlled gated community?

Update: More commentary from Dave Shea.

Another Update: Jon Udell chimes in.