Go read Adam Bosworth's What is the Platform? for his take on the application platform of the future. It's not Longhorn, it's the Web and web infrastructure technologies.

Today, I wonder if this set of syllogisms about the platform is still true (if it ever was). Open Source has shown us that well understood software can and will be commoditized. The operating system has been. The Web server has been. The Applications Server (to the extent folks need it) has been and more message buses are being written in open source. The entire XML processing stack is open source. So the value in "well understood" software today is in the support, not the code. The community that forms around open source software seems quite up to the job of educating itself. The real value in my opinion has moved from the software to the information and the community.

(Emphasis mine.)

He does a good job of saying this in an uncomplicated way from the perspective of an ex-Microsoft employee. Now does his move to Google make more sense?

I think so.

Posted by jzawodn at September 29, 2004 11:34 AM

Reader Comments
# Nick Arnett said:

Absolutely -- nice link -- and I think a lot of people in traditional media won't get it because the idea that there's value in access to diverse points of view runs contrary to modern business models, especially mass media.

on September 29, 2004 02:36 PM
# Richard Corbin said:

If Sun ( BIG if) were to make java open, it would be something to concider, but as it is standards are scase. The web is to computnig what the colt was to the old west ( the equlizer )

Try padding the file with a lot of useless text and see if that helps

my 2 cents

on October 4, 2004 11:26 AM
# Harry Fuecks said:

There may be a more literal way to interpret "The Community as the Platform".

http://www.schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/285-PEARServices_Delicious.html

"What would be pretty cool are some plugins for this sweet weblog application I am using. Imagine:

* Directly adding your entry to del.icio.us while posting.
* Direct integration into the sidebar, with customization through the admin environment."

Also the Flickr / Wordpress plugin: http://www.worrad.com/archives/2004/11/23/flickr-gallery-wp-plugin/

That may just be keeping bloggers amused right now but think it may represent something more fundamental.

on November 24, 2004 01:42 PM
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