The dawn of APIs. GoggleIt again? nah, - I'll better AmazonIt!...
Or eBayIt! - sounds like a fun! APIs are poping up as (insert your favorite comparison).
Did you noticed? Here they are - Google API, Amazon API and eBay API. Are these "creatures" showed up in a desperation for the "paradigm shift" or the tech industry is again trying to hype itself? Is there an Application for such API? Does avearge homer-Joe or corporate-Joe need a program that uses those APIs?
Google API is providing search results and it is a commodity (best of breed, but still a commodity, and there is nothing to buy or sell at Google.com, besides advertisements). eBay API let you to sell and buy staff on eBay.com (if you have an account), Amazon API allows you to shop Amazon or its affiliates... The Browser is no longer good for Amazon or eBay... Why?! Because The Browser is a commodity... and it's spoiled by pop-up advertisments and security flaws... Or maybe we are really facing a new sofware industry, where the market is already divided between major landowners and it's time to make this industry a commodity as it happened with lumber, steel, phone, railroad, automotive, and airplane industries... there is not much left... oops!
Open standards, Open standards, bloody-blah - there are no such things. There is no closed standard as well, - it called proprietary. Sure, there are few levels of proprietary: trade secrets, patent protection, "use it, please" (a.k.a. open source) etc., and of course there are standards - created... between few commercial bodies. Standard is an agreement. Proprietary is a declaration. What is "open" in eBay, Google or Amazon's APIs - those are proprietary technologies that are available for "limited use" to the community of developers and independent enterpreneurs, and are using some standards: HTTP, XML, etc...
Why some independent enterprenheur or maybe just "hobbit-hacker" would consider using those API? Of course everybody are thinking about end-user... and therefore would like to offer new *convenient* features in the little pieces and huge chunks of the code called "easy to use" and "user-freindly" applications. And who are prospectors, - development community, call them "open source", "hackers", internet enterpreneurs... it's all the same.. And the winner is... (just joking :)
Anyways I felt tricked at this moment with all of the excitment... It looks like Amazon and eBay have no clear direction where to go, - they are become leaders, each in their category, and it's time to do something before market is totally saturated... so an "open" API with "limited use" is a perfect way to peek somebody's else brain for the new ideas... Ok, I've been bad, sorry for the rough tone, - it's just for today. But still, I cannot get what is so wonderful behind these APIs. The business part is *perfect*. The brands and networks must grow... thanks Internet. Why is the development community is so excited about these *proprietary* and legally protected API? It seem that sofware industry is exausted to innovate, so everyone is happy about *innovative* APIs. BTW, did anyone noticed that since XML and XML-RPC there was no big innovations in computer industry. SOAP, .NET? Nope! - these things are results of natural evolution those are not core innovations. P2P is still rudimentary and experimental despite the RIAA controvercy. What else?... Nothing!
The API does not make an innovation, furthermore API, in most cases, used to extract value of the stable market, and APIs indicate the fact that the innovation cycle is slowing down. Just remember the history of Windows API, that basically helped to establish the leadership of Microsofton the stable market of programming, after Intel created low-cost PC market. The API is a contract, and the *public API* is a contract between the market leader and independent developers, the only trouble that it's the benefits need to be dicovered by API prospectors at their own risk. There is definetely something for API proprietor, but there are only opportunities for the main innovative workforce in the industry. I have to say that, there is nothing bad about this situation - those are APIs beyound HTTP and XML, but same time those API are focused on creation of commodity market. It's hard to guess will APIs make the difference or not. What is clear, that these changes are result of fundamantal changes in software industry. There are still some opportunities to extract the value, but the path of innovation already gone under highway of API.
As of innovations, there are at least two promising directions in software studies: Code Generation and Adaptive User Interface... And those are not about API (yet), those directions are fundamental areas that can change the way we use computers. Adaptive User Interface can be really simple and helpful and the beginning of use and later can help users to be more productive *changing* along with changes in user's experience, - adopt according to an individual's *Learning Curve*. Code Generation is another essential part of the future technology. There is no satisfying model for data taxonomies, because of constantly changing nature of information. Code Generation that uses pattern discovery and creates modules of the computer code that process those patters is a very powerful concept.
There are sometimes controversial, but inevitable cons and pros in these innovations, like the possibility to change (even maybe eliminate) the still-dominant "craft" of sotfware development and therefore change the cost models in the information processing industry and therefore major potential changes in economy. But there are no "safe and comforatble forewer" environments, just embrace it, and it will make you different again...
I've also noticed that none of the APIs above are using Microsoft .NET for implementation? What's up with that? I need to study that more closely. later...
Update: Apparently eBay is using a Microsoft platform for their web applications. I'm not sure about .NET at the moment I need to get my hands dirty and find out...:)
Glossary.
-------------------------------------
"hobbit-hacker" is the harmless type of hacker who does his/her "things" just because he/she can't resist... without any other agenda... Ya betcha! - there are other types - "black" and "white" hackers... (for best results - RTFM or Read the !%#*&ng Lord of the Ring!). "hobiit-hacker" usually works at some hi-tech company or close to computers and at spare time to write/hack some little code "for myself"...
Did you noticed? Here they are - Google API, Amazon API and eBay API. Are these "creatures" showed up in a desperation for the "paradigm shift" or the tech industry is again trying to hype itself? Is there an Application for such API? Does avearge homer-Joe or corporate-Joe need a program that uses those APIs?
Google API is providing search results and it is a commodity (best of breed, but still a commodity, and there is nothing to buy or sell at Google.com, besides advertisements). eBay API let you to sell and buy staff on eBay.com (if you have an account), Amazon API allows you to shop Amazon or its affiliates... The Browser is no longer good for Amazon or eBay... Why?! Because The Browser is a commodity... and it's spoiled by pop-up advertisments and security flaws... Or maybe we are really facing a new sofware industry, where the market is already divided between major landowners and it's time to make this industry a commodity as it happened with lumber, steel, phone, railroad, automotive, and airplane industries... there is not much left... oops!
Open standards, Open standards, bloody-blah - there are no such things. There is no closed standard as well, - it called proprietary. Sure, there are few levels of proprietary: trade secrets, patent protection, "use it, please" (a.k.a. open source) etc., and of course there are standards - created... between few commercial bodies. Standard is an agreement. Proprietary is a declaration. What is "open" in eBay, Google or Amazon's APIs - those are proprietary technologies that are available for "limited use" to the community of developers and independent enterpreneurs, and are using some standards: HTTP, XML, etc...
Why some independent enterprenheur or maybe just "hobbit-hacker" would consider using those API? Of course everybody are thinking about end-user... and therefore would like to offer new *convenient* features in the little pieces and huge chunks of the code called "easy to use" and "user-freindly" applications. And who are prospectors, - development community, call them "open source", "hackers", internet enterpreneurs... it's all the same.. And the winner is... (just joking :)
Anyways I felt tricked at this moment with all of the excitment... It looks like Amazon and eBay have no clear direction where to go, - they are become leaders, each in their category, and it's time to do something before market is totally saturated... so an "open" API with "limited use" is a perfect way to peek somebody's else brain for the new ideas... Ok, I've been bad, sorry for the rough tone, - it's just for today. But still, I cannot get what is so wonderful behind these APIs. The business part is *perfect*. The brands and networks must grow... thanks Internet. Why is the development community is so excited about these *proprietary* and legally protected API? It seem that sofware industry is exausted to innovate, so everyone is happy about *innovative* APIs. BTW, did anyone noticed that since XML and XML-RPC there was no big innovations in computer industry. SOAP, .NET? Nope! - these things are results of natural evolution those are not core innovations. P2P is still rudimentary and experimental despite the RIAA controvercy. What else?... Nothing!
The API does not make an innovation, furthermore API, in most cases, used to extract value of the stable market, and APIs indicate the fact that the innovation cycle is slowing down. Just remember the history of Windows API, that basically helped to establish the leadership of Microsofton the stable market of programming, after Intel created low-cost PC market. The API is a contract, and the *public API* is a contract between the market leader and independent developers, the only trouble that it's the benefits need to be dicovered by API prospectors at their own risk. There is definetely something for API proprietor, but there are only opportunities for the main innovative workforce in the industry. I have to say that, there is nothing bad about this situation - those are APIs beyound HTTP and XML, but same time those API are focused on creation of commodity market. It's hard to guess will APIs make the difference or not. What is clear, that these changes are result of fundamantal changes in software industry. There are still some opportunities to extract the value, but the path of innovation already gone under highway of API.
As of innovations, there are at least two promising directions in software studies: Code Generation and Adaptive User Interface... And those are not about API (yet), those directions are fundamental areas that can change the way we use computers. Adaptive User Interface can be really simple and helpful and the beginning of use and later can help users to be more productive *changing* along with changes in user's experience, - adopt according to an individual's *Learning Curve*. Code Generation is another essential part of the future technology. There is no satisfying model for data taxonomies, because of constantly changing nature of information. Code Generation that uses pattern discovery and creates modules of the computer code that process those patters is a very powerful concept.
There are sometimes controversial, but inevitable cons and pros in these innovations, like the possibility to change (even maybe eliminate) the still-dominant "craft" of sotfware development and therefore change the cost models in the information processing industry and therefore major potential changes in economy. But there are no "safe and comforatble forewer" environments, just embrace it, and it will make you different again...
I've also noticed that none of the APIs above are using Microsoft .NET for implementation? What's up with that? I need to study that more closely. later...
Update: Apparently eBay is using a Microsoft platform for their web applications. I'm not sure about .NET at the moment I need to get my hands dirty and find out...:)
Glossary.
-------------------------------------
"hobbit-hacker" is the harmless type of hacker who does his/her "things" just because he/she can't resist... without any other agenda... Ya betcha! - there are other types - "black" and "white" hackers... (for best results - RTFM or Read the !%#*&ng Lord of the Ring!). "hobiit-hacker" usually works at some hi-tech company or close to computers and at spare time to write/hack some little code "for myself"...
5:22 PM by igor
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