The Web and HTTP

19 May 2015 • nearthespeedoflight.com

John Gruber: I’ve been making this point for years, but it remains highly controversial. HTML/CSS/JavaScript rendered in a web browser — that part of the web has peaked. Running servers and client apps that speak HTTP(S) — that part of the web continues to grow and thrive.

But I call bullshit. HTTP is not is not what gives the web its webiness. Sure, it’s a part of the web stack, but so is TCP/IP. The web could have been implemented over any number of protocols and it wouldn’t have made a big difference.

Agreed. I read Gruber’s post, but didn’t give it much thought. HTTP is a protocol. The “web” as most people would understand it is so much more. It is possible the definition of the “web” itself is changing with time - and perhaps that is inevitable - but if the end result is a million siloed apps then something vital has been lost.

And that remains true whether those siloed apps are talking HTTP, FTP, Gopher, or some strange new protocol of the future.