The browser would solve the cross-purposes problem which exists not only in search but everywhere else. So, for instance, Facebook provides you this cool platf

The browser would solve the cross-purposes problem which exists not only in search but everywhere else. So, for instance, Facebook provides you this cool platform for chatting, playing games, and keeping track of your friends. But, of course, it's not really free. You'll see ads, get pitched products by your friends, and all kinds of other stuff that has nothing to do with (perhaps) your primary purpose for being there. Since this "Hey! We're free! (Except not really)" problem is going to continue to exist on the web in various formats and places, fixing the browser is the only way to keep control over your experience. We're already seeing this type of work in developers who build add-ins to control the user experience. Hell, I'd pay for a subscription that kept my browser updated with all the appropriate plugins, but I think we can do a lot better than that. For instance, if I want to send a friend a message, I could care less whether they are on LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, or just somebody from my address list. The purpose of HTML is to separate the data from the presentation. It's the only way you can make the web work. But the implementation of html is full of walled gardens, addictive-play websites, and using your own friends against you. We need to get back to basics.