This Apps vs. Web smackdown is only beginning.  Apps and Facebook, like AOL’s Walled Garden of the 90’s threatens many parts of the Web and Internet we know of today.  This issue at its root is about “Short-Cuts or Bookmarks” for users and greater control for content providers/user aggregator companies.

The web is very viral and open from being linkable. This viral part has been what fueled the webs rapid growth.  Most web users only visit 5-12 destinations on the web on a daily basis and major media video is consumed from a limited set of networks.  Content providers have not been able to effectively monetize content on the web, yet it is common for people to buy software applications and freeware has a history of trial to then pay.  Bingo… Content providers have a business model finally.  This App movement is based on these core aspects, yet content inside of apps is generally not linkable to other apps… with the exception of Facebook and Twitter.

The interesting thing about Facebook is that it is a web-based app and it is being externally linked to all the time from apps and websites, along with Twitter.

The part that worries me is that the combination of content/services apps with web-based apps could be what ultimately replaces the web – years in the future.  We need to decide if we want this erosion of the web to happen and if we don’t then we need to all get back to using the web more and creating our own websites again.

I believe that the web will continue to be strong in the face of this new walled-garden threat to its easily networked and open nature.

I agree with Dave Winer, who explains here “Why Apps Are Not The Future“