StickWithANose

Historically, the large-scale introduction of a new communication technology goes through a predictable sequence of development. In the initial phase, the new technology is heralded as a democratizing tool offering individuals a public perspective and voice that was not previously possible. From there it moves into a golden age of relatively open media in which the articulation of the technology into practice comes closest to fulfilling its ideal as a democratizing tool. The final stage of development witnesses the closing of a relatively open system as the mediation is colonized and commodified in pursuit of endless profits.

Thus, I offer you two ways that the relative openness of the web that we’ve enjoyed up to this point will be potentially closed in near term. The first example comes from the evil empire[s] ongoing crusade to commodifiy online news content and spark a search engine war.

Microsoft has had discussions with News Corp over a plan that would involve the media company’s being paid to “de-index” its news websites from Google, setting the scene for a search engine battle that could offer a ray of light to the newspaper industry…

Microsoft’s interest is being interpreted as a direct assault on Google because it puts pressure on the search engine to start paying for content.

“This is all about Microsoft hurting Google’s margins,” said the web publisher who is familiar with the plan.

The second comes from Google’s attempt to convince you that it is a good idea to give up your hard-drive to the Google-Brain. Google’s Chrome OS

Google is positioning Chrome OS against Microsoft with a lightweight OS shipping with netbooks next year. Chrome OS will function as a modified browser, enabling netbooks to handle everyday computing with web-based applications. That’s right: No native software, just the web.

The philosophy behind Chrome OS is extreme: Go the web way, all the way. It’s a “paradigm shift to make the web synonymous with the computer,” as Mashable’s Ben Parr puts it. But it’s an idealistic vision that could take several years to actualize, given the currently limited state of wireless connectivity and web-based applications. Google is aware of that, and the company is merely massaging us with this radical idea of a web-only computing experience by suggesting we try it on netbooks first.

The benefits of Chrome OS don’t seem to outweigh everything Google’s modified browser will do away with. The pluses: Tight security, thanks to Google’s careful monitoring for malware in Chrome OS apps; saving the money you’d spend on an external hard-disk drive thanks to cloud storage; ultimately, being able to “stop worrying about your computer,” as Google said in a promotional video shown at its Thursday event.

The pattern that I see emerging here is increasing attempts to lure us into a fragmented cloud that channels traffic to different nodes within the cloud that will be, eventually, fully commodified. [ie. a fee for service basis] Am I crazy? Take into consideration the issue of net neutrality and I think that makes my case even stronger… This is how the system will close.