Ektron and SitePoint did a survey of 5,000 web developers over
the US summer, and have just released the results in a report entitled The State of
Web Development 2006/2007. It’s packed full of useful data, even in the 25-page
preview (which is free). The bits that particularly interested me were the following two
charts, showing which web technologies developers and organizations are using now – and plan
to use in future.
Interestingly AJAX is not that far behind Flash (which has been around for much
longer). See below for more on that trend… Blogs are well-used, while wikis not so – no real surprise there, as blogs are
generally easier to use. Syndication / RSS at 36% is still a little low, but I predict
it’ll be much higher next year thanks to the likes of Microsoft and Yahoo bringing it
into the mainstream.
Most web technologies will apparently be used more – in
particular Ajax, which next year is predicted to surpass Flash for the first time.
I’m quite surprised that syndication is not planned to be used more next year, as to my mind
RSS and syndication has only just scratched the surface of development opportunities.
Custom search is another that I pick to be used more – yet it’s slated to go down
in this report! Microformats are probably a ‘long bet’, as it’s still low on peoples radar according to
this report.
What will be the next big thing on the Web?
I also enjoyed the section about the ‘next big thing’ on the Web. Some
responses:
- Real-time visual 3D view and navigation of a site
- more standards compliance, responsible use of technologies and semantics
- portable information progress
- Paradigm shift: you will not search the Web for information. You will define what you
want, and the Web will collect it for you. - Voice interactivity/navigation
- “…total immersion. Cell phones, PDAs, laptops, PCs, TVs – so many different
ways exist to access the Web and more are added every day. The Web is going to become
–if it hasn’t already – the hub on which the world spins.” - “Integration of Internet technologies into everyday life that does not involve a
desktop or even a mobile/cell/PDA”
What are your thoughts on the next big thing on the Web?
