Mozilla found its way over ten years ago when
we saw the web
spiraling into peril. The web was stagnating, it was controlled,
and users had
no choice or voice in the future of the web. Here began Firefox, a
collective
effort where individuals around the world could contribute and
build the web
that they wanted to see. Fast-forward and we now see a healthy web
where
competition in browsing options spurs advancement and growth.
But the web is transforming again. The battle
is not for
what browser you chose to use at your desk, but the entire
ecosystem that
powers the computer in your pocket. Not unlike the monopoly we saw
years ago
that stifled the web, we are now watching a distinct divide being
built in
mobile. This divide isolates users and forces them to choose which
part of the
web they want to live in. Developers can no longer just build for
the web;
instead they must build for each device a user brings to the web,
undermining
the very unity that made the web successful.
Today Mozilla fights for mobile. To liberate
users from
closed ecosystems and enable developers to build for the web in
whatever shape
it is accessed – be that from desktop or mobile devices. We are
bringing
technologies that have powered the web into the foundation of a
mobile operating
system. This is combined with a design that enables developers to
use the
technologies they know and that have powered the web to easily
build powerful
mobile apps. We see a future of the web where mobile is not
different from the
web, only a different size serving different needs of the user. In
the end, the
technologies that power the web should be harnessed to also power
the web
experienced on mobile.
But while we focus on the battleground of today
we must also
look forward to see what is next. The future always seems distant
until it is
right upon you. Mozilla must continue to be competitive so that we
can fight
for the users and be a driving force in the open web. We must look
past the fog
of today’s concerns to prepare for how to guide and shape the web
in the next
major phase. We’ve seen the web transform from something accessed
purely by a
desktop device to a mobile web that you carry with you in your
pocket. In
mobile, the web is where wherever the user goes, provided they
have their
device. But just as mobile has grown it too will one day yield to
the next
major shift of the web. I believe that shift will be to a user
centric web.
A user centric web does not care what device
you use to
access the web. Desktop computer, mobile phone, tablet, TV screen,
car console,
wearable device and more - the web will be synonymous with the
user and the web
will follow the user wherever they go. Users will be less
concerned about
static web sites and apps, but more about their world, the way the
web
integrates into their daily lives and activities and every device
that the user
interacts with. To prepare for the next phase of the web Mozilla
must invest in
technologies that bring the web to the user regardless of their
device. The
center of the web will be the user.
This requires a focus on identity, cloud, and
broadening the
reach of our platform. A user must be in control of their identity
on the web
with the ability to easily and seamless represent their identity
wherever they
may be. A user may have several devices they use often, but the
web will be
expected to function equally wherever they may be. To achieve this
Mozilla must
invest in cloud and creating a representation of a user, their
profile, their
identity and desires that is not tied to a particular device, but
rather to the
user directly. We also must continue to expand the platform to
other closed
ecosystems. Many companies will want to harness the web to attract
users, but a
closed ecosystem is an ecosystem that does not empower users and
rarely
represents the user’s desires and voice.
The future is murky and can easily pivot at any
moment. The
choices of today’s technologies, many of which are heavily
debated, can greatly
influence what comes next. But if Mozilla is truly a leader of the
open web
then we must look past the obstacles of today and envision what
will come tomorrow.
Instead of waiting to liberate users from the next stranglehold,
let’s build
the foundation for the next phase of the open web. A web that
represents the
user, enables developers, and supports advancement in
technologies.
Mozilla was built on the power of a massive
worldwide
community that fought the good fight for no other reason than it
was the right
thing to do. Let’s look forward and prepare to lead what comes
next for the
web.
mcoates
mozillian
One hard nut to crack when we think of the cloud is how do we make the user be in control of the cloud, and not the cloud-providing companies be in control of the user via their cloud services? I think no good solution exists there yet, and that's one reason why a number of openness-affine people (like me) are weary about "the cloud" at this point in time.
ReplyDeleteIf we can make us as users be really in control of our lives in the cloud instead of the cloud providers, then we'd feel much better about it.