I honestly think many people have lost the real idea of what a "platform" is these days. In my mind, in it's truest sense, a platform is something stable - a r

I honestly think many people have lost the real idea of what a "platform" is these days. In my mind, in it's truest sense, a platform is something stable - a rock solid base on which to build. That's why you build on it - because you can trust it, even if you turn enemies with it, the key parts you rely on aren't going to change. So to me, Facebook never was a "platform", nor was Twitter, nor iOS. All these things are just gambles, business bets on the future based on things you hope are true. They may be good ones, profitable ones, but you were never guaranteed anything and you should be prepared to lose it all the minute your interests and your landlord's no longer coincide. What do I consider "true" platforms? The closest are Android, Windows (not counting future versions), OSX (up until ML), in some sense the JVM and the browser. I don't know if the new versions of OSX and Windows will qualify as true platforms ... it remains to be seen how the effect of tightening controls on them plays out. tldr; I wish we could stop calling playing in somebody else's ever changing walled garden with no guarantee of anything a "platform".