Mashing Up

Do a Google search on "mashup" and you get a lot of interesting results, mostly about mashups that are happening in the music space, but what I want to talk about is mashups in the software space. Take a look at what is happening at www.salesforce.com with their AppExchange offering and you will be getting a preview of things to come, essentially using the Internet as a software development platform, with tech savvy end users in the drivers seat and leading the collaboration (for the most part). Sure, vendors have been touting the death of programming (and programmers) for thirty years now so don't hold you breadth on that score, but more and more power is being placed in the hands of users, and that is going to have a huge impact, as we begin to close the loop (for users) between what I want and what I know how to do.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Mashup

Comments

[Rick Georges]

This reminds me of the mid-Ninetys, when all the talk was of the future of legal technology being in ASPs, and Web-based data services. A lot of the resistance was in having sensitive data stored on a remote server, over which the lawyer had no control. We lawyers tend to be control freaks.

[Carlos Leyva]

Rick,

Yeah and that will continue to be a concern, but it will have to be balanced with other concerns such as "Katrina Proofing" client information and other security measures that are often better provided in the "glass house.". Companies such MCI & VeriCenter that are in the hosting business periodically conduct rigorous security audits (based on standards developed by the FBI) and have physical security that is difficult to match, except for maybe the largest of firms.

I will be interesting to watch and see how the balance tips over time...

Not to mention that files and data can be considered "discoverable" in a court of law. Aside from my layman's legal term.. the key to using any software over the internet is knowing where it is (who is hosting it), protocols in place for security and privacy (how it is being hosted, procedures, backups, etc), and taking precautions or using appropriate measures to ensure that your content is safe and protected. Ok, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but so many of us have a tendency to take these issues for granted. Do you detect a note of trepidation? Well, having worked in the industry for years (too many to mention), I have honest respect, as well as disrespect, for the so-called "best practices" of the profession. Oh.. and don't forget to check their references!