The web is facing an unprecedented challenge in the form of small, single usage applications on mobile devices. With the proliferation of closed, proprietary “app stores” which provide a small revenue stream in exchange for creative and programmatic freedom, we are facing a situation where a single vendor or handful of vendors control every aspect of a application’s life cycle. While it is easy to rail against “the machine” and make efforts to crack open those walled gardens, there is another approach that is by far superior in many ways – not the least of which is that you can begin to practice it today with great success!

What many folks fail to realize is that there is a fairly big “window” into these walled gardens called the web. Virtually every mobile device carries with it a web browser which contains enough features to create pretty sophisticated applications, all without any need for a TOS, a style guide, or even a yearly dues (rent) payment to the mobile service (angry landlord).

I tend to have a nose for technologies that spend time developing steadily under the radar, until they are ready to spring forth into the mainstream. While I’m not right 100% of the time, I tend to hit more than I miss, and in my sights now are “offline web apps”. Given the many features of html5, including canvas and localstorage, you can create web applications that approach “real” apps in sophistication, utility, and speed.

Given the ability to create these offline web apps – or html5apps as PPK says – I say we declare a W. A. R. on closed, proprietary application development. This W. A. R. – or Web Application Revolution – means that you commit to building an offline-capable web app instead of (or in addition to) making plans to create a different flavor of your app for all the various engines, browsers, platforms, and operating systems.

Isn’t it ironic that the very “walled gardens” that folks seek to tear down usually carry with them the means to build applications that rival in many ways the “native” apps? I’m fully aware that in some ways, web apps fall short. Filesystem access, hardware accelleration, and other features are not easily obtainable by apps running in a browser, but if the engineering community focuses its time and energy on building web apps, this attention will in turn force an evolution in web technologies that will make web apps virtually indistinguishable from “native apps”.

So, in short, I’m proposing nothing short of an all-out W. A. R. on closed, appstore-based worlds, a Web Application Revolution.

To put my time/money where my mouth is, I’m creating a site to highlight efforts to build this open web app ecosystem at http://webapprev.com

If you know of stories, links, specs, or other tidbits of information, or want to help with this effort, head over there and send me feedback!