S60 Open to new features

Why is the web so popular?

I think one reason is because with a few clicks you can see how a web page is done, then with a little bit of work you can do it yourself. And you can do it yourself with the same tools you already have; the tools you used to look at it in the first place. You can start as a consumer, then almost seamlessly become a participant.

It seems to me that people want to participate, not just consume. In music, in technology, in writing, in art, in television — there’s a drive to participate. Maybe it begins in consuming; I suppose it makes sense to see what you want to get into before you get into it. I think it’s inherent to drive through consuming into participating when you can.

It all depends on the tools. For a long time it was difficult to participate in music (at least some kinds of music) because the instruments were expensive and learning how to play was difficult. Then for a while playing became easier but the instruments were still somewhat expensive, and suddenly you needed other stuff, like amps and recording studios. Now all of it is accessible, and look at the explosion (I’m not talking about whatever music you don’t like; I’m talking about a vast expansion of participation!)

Most of the expansion in participation has been driven by the same basic tool: the personal computer. Particularly in the web, the PC draws you from consuming to participating. It’s essentially a participation magnet.

Why is this? I think it’s because of openness. The PC is open, although less now than it used to be. The Web is open, and it’s both open and easy to have your own website up and running even before you really know what you’re doing. I think that’s another key to participation — you shouldn’t have to “know what you’re doing” before you get started. Some people are “know what they’re doing” people, but many of us tend to be “give it a try anyway” people. Except in certain areas, of course — skydiving comes to mind…

Buried deep in the foundation of the cellular industry, though, is the notion that a mobile user is a consumer, not a participant. We’re working our way past that, but very slowly. Camera phones are — maybe inadvertently — a big step in the right direction, but they’re not really connected to most of the rest of the software in the phone. Most important, phones don’t yet take you seamlessly enough from web consumer to web participant. When was the last time you created a web site by using your mobile phone? I thought so.

When you purchase DreamWeaver and your choices are Windows, MacOS, or S60; then we’ll have arrived!