I think that the move from the web to apps the web brought on itself. Fundementally the web is a linked document viewing system. Later it needed scripting and

I think that the move from the web to apps the web brought on itself. Fundementally the web is a linked document viewing system. Later it needed scripting and a bletcherous system was hastily added. But the web had huge momentum, the system stuck, and here we are with three+ major browers all interpreting the morass of HTML, DOM, CSS and Javascript slightly different. Yes, HTML5 tries to rectify some of that, but it's sadly too late. As a developer of a mobile or tablet application you have a choice of the technology cesspool that is the web or the nice tidy mobile development tool of your choice (mostly) with sane UI tools and a language that probably didn't need a "good parts" book. You also get a better system for collecting payment, easy access to the customer's data, and when it's installed and then compromised it's on someone else's computer, not yours. And that computer is relatively easy to use. No calling nephews to figure out where the internet went ("It used to be right here on the screen..."). To view a usable 1024x768 web page you need one of those complicated general purpose computers, which really aren't practical or even understandable for 95% of the population. It's so easy to make an app we now have a gajillion of them cranked out daily that no one cares about. Then they get thrown in the the cesspool that is the mobile app market and the suckage continues. If you want to have the web continue to flourish (and I'm not aligning with the trolling and utterly stupid Mr. Rabois here) we should have better tools for creating applications for the web. I'm not sure what that would be (bytecode runtimes, mature HTML5, a new language?) nor how to wrest control from the oppressive JavaScript Empire. But unless that happens don't be surprised if the web turns a bit gray.