Where Do you Think Web 2.0 Applications Are Going Next?

With so much buzz happening around Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, what do you see will be the next wave for Web 2.0?

That's what I've been researching these past few days. The answer to me seems to be a combination of what is referred to as Web 3.0 and Web 3D.

Web 3.0 is taking the current Web 2.0, which focusses on building relationships and social networking, into the next phase of converting the "relationship" data into knowledge that can then support "context sensitive" and "semantics based" searching. In the ideal Web 3.0 world, the browser would act like a personal assistant. As you search the Web, the browser learns what you are interested in. So, the more you browse, the more it learns about you until eventually it can confidently answer questions such as "where should I go for lunch?" or "what movie should I watch?".

Web 3D combines virtual reality elements with the persistent online worlds of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) transforming the Web into a digital landscape that incorporates the illusion of depth. In a Web 3D world you would navigate the Web through a digital representation of yourself called an avatar.

Ultimately, I think we'll see elements of both, neither 100%, in the future of Web 2.0. Also, I strongly feel that the Web will continue to merge with other forms of entertainment until all distinction between media are lost to the point that radio programs, television shows, and movies all rely on the Web as a delivery system.

* Originally posted in the ebizQ SOA Forum on July 21, 2009.

Do You Believe that the Quality of SOA Related Projects Will Improve or Decline in the Future?

There is a lot of talk about whether SOA is dead and, if not, then will the number of SOA projects increase in the future. But SOA project 'Quantity' is only half the story. A truly balanced discussion about SOA requires examining SOA project 'Quality' - the other side of the 'Quantity' coin. So, the question is: Do You Believe that the Quality of SOA Related Projects Will Improve or Decline in the Future?

Find out how industry experts are responding to my question on the ebizQ SOA forum...

How Will SOA Vendors Adapt to the Emerging Cloud Paradigm?

Has anyone asked you whether "SOA is dead" recently?

SOA alongwith other technologies such as Virtualization, Grid Computing, Broadband Networks, Open Source Software, Web 2.0, etc. form the foundation for Cloud Computing. We all know how hot Cloud Computing is being in the very early stages of its hype cycle. So it stands to reason that SOA vendors will very likely jump on the Cloud Computing bandwagon in order to marginalize any discussion about the relevance of SOA. After all, as they would say, how can SOA be dead if it forms a foundation for the "new" best thing since sliced bread - Cloud Computing?

* Originally posted in the ebizQ SOA Forum on July 9, 2009.