Google and Microsoft – Battle of the browsers... one small step

Most of you have probably heard about Google joining the European Commission antitrust case against Microsoft.  Here we have Google leveraging its dollar power on the side of the Mozilla foundation all in the effort to unhinge Internet Explorer from the Microsoft build.  If Google and Mozilla win, I see this a large win for the user.  Now, you might think...“ How will I get on the internet and download Chrome, Firefox or Safari if I can’t use internet explorer to get online when I receive my computer!”  Well the simple answer is the machines manufacturer is not going to let it go out without the option to choose a browser, otherwise their market share will go down the toilet.  A win against Microsoft will be one more brick removed from the wall of proprietary software and one more brick placed in the steps being built toward open source.

According to Wikipedia we see the following statistics:

Internet explorer             67.55%

Mozilla Firefox                  21.53%

Safari                                     8.29%

Google Chrome                    1.12%

Opera                                       .7%

Netscape Navigator             .57%

Other                                     .22%

Not to knock Microsoft, they have been a way to bridge our computing and everyday needs into a seemless communication standard…Well...as good as can be with the obvious glitches.  They provided the next step in software evolution that was necessary, but the past is the past.. and this is the future.  Now that we have moved farther into the future, their market stranglehold stifles the independents and new generation of problem solvers' revolutionary ideas.  The next great open source ideas are waiting in the wings.  Unhinging I.E. will lead to more of an open source hold.  More revolutionary ideas and products all built by the people around us… and wouldn’t we all like to see that 12 year old that is creating viruses divert his attention to something more productive?

This is a time for open source methodologies. Let the community lead the way.