WebServices
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Distributing computation throughout a number of independent services across the internet is undoubtedly a good idea. Each service can be efficient specialist in one thing; and multiple services can spring up for popular tasks.
However people designing these services are hung up on payment.
Either
- they believe that all AgoricSystems must model payment to manage efficiency
or
- they are trying to build a business out of these services
But it's equally possible that in the world of the web, a payment free model is more efficient. This is already true for human publishing (TheAgeOfAmateurs) Possibly web services will take off without the friction of trying to map payment onto them. (See also : GiftParadigm / TransactionCosts)
Update : That's an interesting perspective I had in Feb 2003. I wonder if I still believe it.
Meanwhile TimBray is the loyal opposition : http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2004/09/18/WS-Oppo
By the end of 2005, 45 percent of U.S. companies will likely be using some form of web service, according to market research firm Gartner.
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=11041&hed=Top+10+Trends:+The+web+goes+to+pieces
CategoryComputerScience, CategoryInformationalism