Wave Drowns Internet Explorer
September 25, 2009
In my lingo, Google has marginalized Internet Explorer. One take on this dismissal of Microsoft’s technology appears in “Google Plug-In Makes IE8 10x Faster. Chrome Frame Instantly Boosts Microsoft Browser’s JavaScript Performance.”
I don’t want to walk do the worn path in the grove of grief that is Internet Explorer 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I cannot comment about IE 8 because I used it once on new machines only to download Chrome and Opera. Firefox has some weird memory and thrashing behavior that forced me to dump Firefox. You can read about Chrome finding IE6 and resolving its issues by making IE6 into Chrome. But the big news for me was in the article “We Give Up on Internet Explorer say Google Wave Team” which appeared on IT Wire. The article stated:
Google assert, Internet Explorer has not kept up with recent developments in Web technology. The Google team claim Internet Explorer’s JavaScript performance is many times slower than that of Firefox 3.5, Google’s own Chrome browser and Apple’s Safari 4. Additionally, Google state Internet Explorer’s support for the HTML 5 standard is also far behind these browsers. The Google Wave team explain they have spent countless hours solely on improving the Google Wave experience within Internet Explorer but have decided to just cut their losses. By producing Chrome Frame future development effort can be expended solely in core development for all users, but without leaving Internet Explorer users behind.
In my opinion, Google’s action makes clear how Google’s engineers will deal with Microsoft’s technical inadequacies. Google, as I see it, will identify a Microsoft stumble and then write code that handles the problem the way medical workers deal with an Ebola patient. Exercise appropriate caution and use isolation to minimize risk to patient, other patients, medical staff, and family members.
This approach signals a change in the way in which Google will deal not just with Microsoft, but it tells me that Web page designers who work to spoof Google will face similar treatment. Companies that develop software to fiddle in unacceptable ways with functions Google has crafted will find themselves sitting in an isolation chamber with no electrical power.
How can Google take this type of action?
Easy. Its engineers perceive Google as the winner in online, search, and the platform services the company is dribbling out bit by bit. Few know that Google has thousands of these “grains of sand” and even fewer know that with a little lime and ash can build some impressive computational structures.
The isolation ward tactic or IWT makes clear that Google’s management understands that the Rubicon has been crossed and the digital Caesar is marching to Rome. The folks in Rome were nervous 2000 years ago and the folks in the traditional computing world are nervous today. Caesar slaughtered a city as a good bye message, and he ignored the “tradition” which kept generals and their armies well away from the seat of power. Gloogle looks a lot like a digital Caesar to me.
I made this point in late 2008 at the poorly attended Enterprise Search Summit and got a truck load of crap from people who did not agree with my statement: “Google has won in search and the enterprise.” I stand by that statement one year later. Marginalization is proof of the soundness of my observation about Google’s strength.
At this time, Google is growing via capillary action. Each service diffuses into space, pulled by molecular forces that most choose not to measure or quantify. Yesterday at the briefing in which I participated at the National Press Club, I heard Somat Engineering’s president state that government agencies must develop methods that bridge the gap between their existing systems and Google’s services. That was echoed by a former CIA intelligence officer who is no friend of any major vendor. His view was practical and pragmatic. Google’s premier government partner—Adhere Solutions—listed a number of features and functions that can reduce costs and improve delivery of citizen services. The audience, which consisted of high ranking government officials, made clear in the Q&A session that Google’s presence was indeed a significant one.
Now Microsoft is finding itself pushed from the center of the stage. If Google can dodge potentially lethal legal and management bullets fired at the company, Microsoft may find itself watching the Google show from the balcony or on Turner Classic Movies from a trailer park in Hardin County, Kentucky.
Gentle reader, feel free to disagree. Just bring facts, not uninformed views and recycled punditry.
Stephen Arnold, September 24, 2009
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