How the Web Works
November 2nd, 2010 by Matt Haff
Jeff Veen, author, Art & Science of Web Design
Turns out that the fundamental principles that led to the success of the web will lead you there, too. Drawing on 15 years of web design and development experience, Jeff will take you on a guided tour of what makes things work on this amazing platform we’re all building together. You’ll learn how to stop selling ice, why web browsers work the way they do, and where Rupert Murdoch can put his business model.
CD’s were the stuff until mp3 was made – mp3 player won out…
video codecs were the stuff until flash came out – YouTube won out…
18 web safe fonts were the stuff until @font-family came out – @font-family won out…
Consensus = code
Value = users x users
information = free
Rough Consensus Running Code
Markup has to be separated from style. It takes multiple people submitting their ideas about how code should be, ultimately the best is chosen and history is made!
The faster you can put out stuff to people and gather feedback the faster you can learn.
“If you’re not embarrassed when you ship your product, you waited too long” – Reid Hoffman
The value of the network equals the square of the number of users.
Information wants to be free
…within the right context. How easy is it to copy a movie? Takes 2 clicks and now you just broke a ton of laws… Share that with a friend, and you just broke a ton more laws… But that’s how the internet works?!
Rivalrous - when a product is consumed it can’t be consumed again.
Excludable - prevent access to those who don’t pay.
Non-Rivalrous & Non-Excludable – Everything that you can make digital… can’t be prevented and will never go away.
This is why newspapers, music industry, movie industry, etc. are all having issues because now everything is digital and easy to be copied.
This doesn’t mean it’s good, it just means that if you find your product in that kind of description, find out a way to give something for free – which will give you a competitive advantage.
