The Future of the Internet Without web Browsers

September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Image representing Firefox as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

It goes without saying that the world of computing is an ever evolving one. What is important today will undoubtedly be unnecessary tomorrow. In regards to the Internet, the underlying evolution has been towards bringing users to their sought-after information in an easier and faster fashion. Now the Internet is at one of those seminal crossroads, and the victims in this case may be the web browsers that many users rely on today. Neither Linux or open source software browsers like Firefox or proprietary ones like Safari and Explorer are safe, as their necessity is shrinking and shrinking. These once dependable software middle men are now being cast away from the Internet’s natural progression.

So what’s causing web browsers to fade away? In general, the advancement of computing devices and software. But to be specific, the number one killer of web browsers is the growing use of mobile devices and tablets, along with their expansive array of software apps. These apps allow the user to directly connect to sites like Facebook or YouTube all without ever opening a web browser.

While the ramifications aren’t completely clear, the path seems to be leading to a more proprietary software in Internet connectivity. The majority of software apps on mobile devices and tablets are under the complete control of the developer; although, apps are being built to allow user customization and formatting for changing devices. Either way, web browsers are seeing themselves being muscled out of the fray as data can be accessed faster without unnecessary steps. In fact, recent statistics show a drop from 50% to 23% of traffic on the web going to web browsers over the past 10 years.

This transformation is bound to blur a lot of lines on the Internet. Social media apps, for instance, may eventually have the power to do away with not only web browsers but also the need for search engines. Through an app for Facebook, for example, a user can access information from other users, or records of previous interactions, all without the use of those out-dated web browsers or search engines.

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Open Source Software Making its way Into Education

September 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Open Source Software

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The open source software model started by Linux has made its way beyond computers and technical devices and into general areas like business and security. It’s now making its presences felt in the field of education. What has been the dream of many education advocates–free learning for all–is inching closer to that reality with open source software. Education organizations and some places for higher learning are adopting the open source software model to better serve students and spread word of new research and discoveries. The consequences of these implementations are immense and very hopeful. The best, most advanced information out there may no longer be available to top private schools, but to everybody.

One educational area that will be greatly affected by the open source software model is textbooks. Developed with open source software new textbooks, aptly named open source textbooks, are being incorporated by major universities that are meant to be available to any school and student, with the ability to be changed. Researchers can add or modify content, and they can be customized for students. The common advantage of open source software is present here: cost. Although not free, yet, open source textbooks, even printed editions, are considerably cheaper than their mainstream counterparts. The need to consistently purchase new, revised editions is now very limited.  And these online books and other educational files can easily be shared with open source software like Ares Galaxy and larger files transferred with FTP software like File Zilla.

While the cost of educational tools drop with open source software, their reach vastly expands. In the example of open source textbooks, they can be used by any school and manipulated to fit their specific needs. Another alternative is by following the path of wiki communities. Compiled onto a single open source site, anyone with a drive to learn can access educational-related material from math to biology to chemistry without leaving the house. Here too, information can be easily updated by the community and sorted into subjects relevant to the user. With its wide access, open source software has the potential to equalize the disparity seen in many education levels. This is something that can then launch the model to even more unexpected areas.


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Signs That Open Source Software is Catching On

September 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When open source software like Linux first hit the streets people were very uncertain about its ultimate potential for reaching the mainstream markets. It had a reputation of being useful for only a fringe group of dedicated developers and users. It turns out, however, that open source software has blown away all expectations out of the water as more and more established businesses look to incorporate it into their sophisticated networks. It appears that open source software is no longer just an alternative to proprietary software, but is now a full on competitor.

A recent study by the consulting agency Accenture has come up with some pretty impressive statistics regarding open source software. Most notably, 88% percent of organizations that were currently running open source software would expand their investment in it in the next year. Over two-thirds of all organizations were also going to raise investments in open source, with more than a third transferring their mission-critical software over to open source.

Most outside observers would chalk up the burgeoning investments in open source software to its most obvious asset: low cost. This idea is repeated continuously due to a false notion of inferiority in open source software. As good as it is, they think, it just cannot outperform proprietary. The previous mentioned study seems to say otherwise. More than 70% of organizations involved in the study stated that the two major reasons for their growing interest in open source software is quality and reliability.

With the continued evolution of open source, it can be ascertained that this interest is only going to intensify as the software becomes more and more efficient. In addition, more open source software is being developed to specifically meet the needs of business operations. For these reasons it would be foolish to think the growing demand for open source software is but only a fad. Instead, it is one more sign that proprietary software may be finally losing its foothold in those mainstream markets.

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