The World Wide Web is preparing to make a significant leap towards becoming an open environment for all collaboration.
Tim Berners-Lee – the creator and driving force behind the World Wide Web – asserts that he is not overly optimistic when evaluating the potential for a major change on the Web.
At the same time, he warns that we need to fight harder against Internet criminals and anti-competitive behaviors.
In recent years, numerous new technologies have emerged that are making the Web smarter and easier to use, Berners-Lee stated.
“I personally believe there are many new things on the horizon and we are completely satisfied to witness them. We are moving into a new phase with technologies that have been developed. Right now, I feel very optimistic and confident about a new change,” Berners-Lee said.
Realizing Predictions
Currently serving as the director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Berners-Lee is working on his predictions for significant changes to the World Wide Web in two distinct ways: First, making the web a space where people can easily collaborate, and second, ensuring that the content of a webpage can be easily recognized and processed by different types of machines.
Google Maps, which provides online mapping services that can integrate with other websites, and Flickr, which allows users to share images and comment on others’ photos, are examples of how websites can combine content from various sources.
A new query language – SPARQL – has been designed to enable websites to be easily readable across different systems, allowing various types of data to be placed on the web.
Other goals of Berners-Lee include expanding the Web to mobile services.
Concerns …
Firstly, Berners-Lee is not in favor of designing a separate web for mobile devices – a typical example being the “.mobi” domain. He advocates for developing websites and devices that are smart enough to determine the best way to deliver information to users.
He is also concerned about some Internet service providers beginning to filter data, prioritizing paid data types. However, the public needs an open Internet.
Another concern of Berners-Lee is spam and phishing scams. Websites need to be clearer with users about whether they are safe…
Hoang Dung
