A couple of days ago I noted that Chris Anderson has written a fantastic article. Let me clarify and explain my thinking.
I believe the title of the article is distracting. The Web is certainly not dead. But I think Chris has identified an important new trend. For years investors have embraced the belief that the long-term trend for the Internet is towards openness and “free” content. We are now seeing, however, semiclosed platforms like Apple and Facebook that are thriving. Furthermore, consumers seem to be showing more willingness to opt for a paid, high-quality experience delivered via an app or other platform over a free, lower-quality experience delivered via a browser. For example, my 11-year-old step son said to me last week while I was using my iPad,”Why are you getting your email through a browser? You should use the Google app.” Regardless of whether the Google app provides a significantly better experience in this particular case, I was struck by the fact that his instinct was to automatically elect for an app over a browser experience.
The Web is not dead, but I think Chris Anderson’s article should make us wonder if we are seeing an important turning point in the Internet. This trend, by the way, would shift the power a bit more towards publishers, creators and intermediaries that are trying to be paid for what they produce.
