the Interdependency Stage of the Web
on March 09, 2007note: I wrote this article in January and I just found it hidden deep down my backpack
I think that one of the mayor success of the new Web is thanks to open communication, open standards and open information. Opening up information has given rise to the Community websites. The meaning of Community is ‘People that are grouped together and share’. Opening up information and communication is the lubricant of this sharing process. But I think there is more to this then just social websites.
Apart from open communication, the current Web 2.0 hype offers a nice example of ‘openness’: often unique identifiers to information are human-readable. For example an URL like http://website/buy_product/frogpad is much more trustworthy than: http://website/rq_handler.asp?corporate_id=672&transaction_confirm=true&request_id=2. These little details of openness generate trust and I think unconsciously attracts users.About two years ago I started reading a self-help book called ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’. This book contains some nice principles/habits of achieving success in life. Success, in this case, means both material, mental and spiritual success. One of the core principles of the book is achieving ‘Interdependence’. In order to become interdependent, one must first become independent (rise from co-dependency). Only after becoming independent we can start reaping the benefits of synergy: The whole will become more then the sum of it’s parts.
Websites are starting to offer information loosely, for example trough RSS, Webservices and other data offerings. They not only offer data, but they also create new data from multiple offerings. I think this loosely coupled way of exchanging information can be seen as the first steps of the internet becoming interdependent. The early web was static and the only form of interdependency was exchanging links (which nonetheless made it a tremendous success!).
I think it’s time we start examining the impacts of interdependency on humans and their systems. We can then use this to anticipate the Web’s needs and innovate accordingly.
