Re: [apps-discuss] IETF technical plenary: the end of application protocols

[Cyrus Daboo <[e-mail]>]

Hi Scott,

--On March 21, 2011 12:40:01 PM -0400 Scott Brim <[e-mail]> 
wrote:

>> This is what I see, too: each service will have its own API / protocol,
>> resulting in wonderful vendor lock-in for the service provider but a
>> distinct lack of interoperability across services. We've just moved the
>> problem elsewhere.
>
> What interoperability do you need?  This isn't peer to peer, it's
> client/server.  All of the servers have de facto converged on the same
> client capabilities (http, html etc).  It's already standardized.

What if I have multiple service providers yet I want to present an 
aggregated view of all the data? e.g. the very common case of having 
multiple email accounts on different providers and wanting a "unified" 
inbox. With the "proprietary" approach of silo-ed web services, that 
becomes hard. Either I have to have a local app that understands each of 
the "proprietary" protocols and does the aggregation locally, or I have to 
rely on an intermediary to aggregate the data (which probably requires 
handing over credentials or doing some complicated crypto).

-- 
Cyrus Daboo