The distinction between client and server is already evaporating, with things like server-side dom bringing client functionality to the server and service worke

The distinction between client and server is already evaporating, with things like server-side dom bringing client functionality to the server and service workers bringing server functionality to the client. I expect the next generation of distributed databases will include the client into its storage layout. However, that will only make it more apparent that the fundamental problem of synchronizing state between multiple machines is an unsolvable one, thanks to the CAP theorem. By unsolvable I mean that the intuitive expectation of the user is an always available system that is completely consistent, and we know we can't give them that. I feel like we're heading into the data processing equivalent of the AI winter, where the wet towel of reality will dampen much of the hyperbole around p2p and IoT.