In the article The Web is Dead. Long Live the Internet, which was published in the September 2010 issue of Wired Magazine, the authors Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff (2010) present two perspectives on why the popularity of the Web is declining compared to the popularity of services or apps. They contend that on one hand, the reason for this decline is the users or the consumers whose needs are changing and becoming ever more demanding (i.e. “Blame Us”). On the other hand, they also contend that another reason would be the innovations that are being constantly developed by entrepreneurs (i.e. “Blame Them”).
Although both perspectives are valid and sensible, the writer is more inclined to agree with the perspective that the Web’s decline is because of the users or consumers. As such, this critique will focus on the Blame Us section of the article.
According to Anderson and Wolff (2010), users are choosing apps over the Web because the apps allow them to easily and quickly access the services and information that they need. With these apps being easily accessed via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, people can access the services they need wherever they go. In contrast, a personal computer will be quite difficult to carry around. The authors contend that while these apps still go through the Internet, they no longer go through the Web (Anderson & Wolff, 2010).
Furthermore, the authors indicate that the Web is undergoing the ”natural” evolution of industrialization, which includes the stages of “invention, propagation, adoption, and control (Anderson & Wolff, 2010). In this regard, the evolution of the Web technology is now in the control stage where it has evolved into the development of apps, which enable businesses to have more control over how they manage their customers and how they provide services to their customers.
In ending the article, the authors made it clear that the Web will not altogether disappear as people will continue to use it for various purposes; rather, they emphasize that only the commercial content side of the Web will see the decline (Anderson & Wolff, 2010).
The writer agrees with all of the points made by the authors, but he agrees the most with their statement that human nature should be blamed, that although the idealistic side of humans would commend openness, in the end, they will choose the easiest way of doing something, even when this comes with certain financial costs (Anderson & Wolff, 2010).
It is also part of human nature to never be satisfied. As new innovations come along, humans still continue to look for something better. This is evidenced in the way that people never stop buying the latest gadgets even when these gadgets basically serve the same purpose. It’s so typical for a person to have a personal computer, a laptop, a smartphone, and a tablet all at the same time.
In this regard, the writer thinks that the consumers are the ones driving these changes and not the entrepreneurs. He thinks that entrepreneurs are merely responding or reacting to these changes. These entrepreneurs are keen on identifying the needs of their customers or potential customers, which enable them to respond accordingly (Simonson & Tompkins, 2005). In the same regard, the writer doesn’t think that any good entrepreneur will create a product that does not address a particular need or that does not have a potential market. In this sense, the consumer need comes prior to the innovation.
As an example, Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg in order to address the need of his schoolmates to have a website where the students can easily communicate. Similarly, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started to make PC boards in order to make it easier for their fellow members at the Homebrew Computer Club to easily assemble their own computers (Livingston, 2007). This would be the start of a company that would become known as Apple.
Also, in contrast to the assertions made by the authors under the “Blame Them” section where they claim that the quality of online content is degrading, which further diminishes the Web’s popularity, the writer thinks that it is actually online content that’s one of the driving forces behind the popularity of the apps. Regardless of the quality of such content, people obviously need 24/7 access to such content – be it on Twitter, Facebook, online newspapers, or RSS feeds – and this need is being met by the apps. In this case, the quality of this content is not to be blamed for the Web’s decline; rather, the writer thinks that it’s the technology behind the Web that is to be blamed. Obviously, the platform on which apps run is far superior from the platform on which the Web runs.
The writer finds it quite ironic, though, that people still seem to prefer making Internet calls over traditional phone calls despite the poor quality of the former (Anderson & Wolff, 2010). If the premise is that people are willing to pay for the sake of better quality service then this certainly isn’t true in the case of Internet calls. This makes the writer think that the preference for quality and flexibility over openness isn’t true for all cases, and given the fickle-mindedness of people, which is also a part of human nature, the writer wouldn’t be surprised if the day comes when the Web will be able to regain its old glory.
In conclusion, Anderson and Wolff present two perspectives regarding the causes of the Web’s decline. One perspective is that the consumers are to be blamed while the other perspective asserts that the entrepreneurs are to be blamed.
As the writer agreed more with the assertion that the consumers are to be blamed, he critiqued the authors’ “Blame Us” section for this essay. He agrees that it is part of human nature to always want something better and as the needs of consumers change, entrepreneurs respond accordingly. In turn, this response leads to the development of new innovations, such as the apps and services. As such, the writer thinks that consumer need precedes the innovation. As well, he thinks that content is another driver for this change. With the Web containing more and more content, users need a way to easily and quickly access the information they need, and this need is also met by the apps.
However, the writer is quite fascinated that the quality of service does not seem to be the be-all and end-all of consumers' preference, given the example of consumers preferring the poor-quality but free Internet calls over the high-quality but expensive traditional calls. As such, it won't come as a surprise if these technology trends shift yet again.
References
Anderson, C. & Wolff, M. (2010). The web is dead. Long live the internet. Wired Magazine.
Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/all/1.
Livingston, J.(2007). Founders at work: Stories of startups' early days. New York: Apress
Simonson, S. W. & Tompkins, B. W. (2005). Logistics and manufacturing outsourcing:
Harness your core competencies. Raleigh, NC: Tompkins Press.
