Mozilla weaves web OS in cloud (and bad haircut day)

Season's greetings, from IT Blogwatch: in which Mozilla launches "Weave" -- an open cloud-computing framework. Not to mention how not to get a haircut...

An anonymous Mozilla Labs gnome writes:

As the Web continues to evolve and more of our lives move online ... Firefox can and should do more to broker rich experiences while increasing user control over their data and personal information ... We’re now launching a new project within Mozilla Labs to formally explore ... deeper integration of the browser with online services. [more]

Sean P. Aune decodes:

The biggest bonus to Weave will be pushing all of your Firefox settings onto a Mozilla server that will let you access bookmarks, settings, passwords and so on from any device you use by simply logging into your account. You will also be able to share specified bookmark folders with friends & family so you can work on a project in a collaborative fashion. [more]

Om Malik likes the idea:

Mozilla has set-up a code of ethics, which make me view this project more positively. For instance, all client side data is encrypted. I like the fact that Mozilla is a neutral entity and is less likely to commercially abuse the information at their disposal. If you take a longer term view, Mozilla can become the data broker for all future web services, especially for those who don’t want to throw in their lot with commercial vendors such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook. [more]

Josh Catone agrees:

But by supporting things like OpenID and OAuth, could Weave potentially act as a hub and delegator for all of our online activities and personal information? That already seems to be a goal of the project, and Weave appears to operate with many of the same ethical principles as the DataPortability.org project (i.e., users have control of their information and how it is shared). [more]

Deepak Singh:

The mythical WebOS might not be right round the corner, but efforts like Weave are what are going to make it a reality ... we will require more seamless experiences than we have now. Today’s web, while incredibly useful, is still very fragmented. We have multiple interfaces, multiple entry points, etc. What made the desktop successful was a single point of entry into applications. [more]

Michael Arrington thinks about competition:

There will likely be a slew of casualties in the “web OS” space, as their main selling point is to store user settings and other data and make them portable for the cyber cafe crowd ... Mozilla's brand is solid gold and they just might do an end around and grab all the users. [more]

Dan Farber muses:

Mozilla has 15 to 20 percent share of the browser market, enough to make Weave relevant if it succeeds with the project. And, Mozilla.org has projects ranging from instant messenging and email to calendaring and Web page editing to fill out its platform. It’s not going to replace the incumbents, but it will add a strong voice in the mix. Importantly, Mozilla could help establish industry standards that make the Web as an operating system more friction free. [more]

Joe "Duck" Hunkins quacks up:

Generally I think this is a positive thing. For reasons I don’t understand few of us really take the time to use and configure the many applications that allow us to customize our desktops in more functional ways. Google desktop, My Yahoo, Flock , and many more tools would allow us to build a great “control panel” for our online needs, but this appears to be a fairly low priority for most of us. I think it is analogous to how rarely people use even the simplest extra commands at Google search to refine their search. [more]

And finally...

• How not to get a haircut
  

Buffer overflow:

• Fake Steve Jobs: Shutdown drama
• Duncan Riley: 2007 In Numbers: iGoogle Google’s Homegrown Star Performer This Year
• Richard Gray: Apple to turn down the volume on iPod
• Ina Fried: Microsoft quietly combines TV efforts
• Dave Winer: My Long Bet with Martin Nisenholtz
• James Woodall: Windows SideShow for iPhone
• Wilson Rothman: Microsoft Year-End Report Card: B-

Other Computerworld bloggers:

• Mike Elgan: Mecca gets WiFi
• Seth Weintraub: Forbes says the US Army are Apple fanboys too
• Seth Weintraub: iPhone sales bringing up US mobile phone spending
• Mark Hall: VMs boost SAN costs
• Shark Tank: Maybe he just wants to show he's hep to the jive
• Douglas Schweitzer: Looking for a job?

Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/adviser/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and spam. A 20 year, cross-functional IT veteran, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. You too can pretend to be Richi's friend on Facebook, or just use boring old email: blogwatch@richi.co.uk.

Previously in IT Blogwatch:

• ThinkSecret RIP after Apple settlement (and empty Sun)
• 700 MHz auction bidders revealed by FCC (and cancelcancel)
• Japanese iPhone negotiations (and LucasFilm cards)