blank white server

Do you ever have the feeling you're being prepared for something? So many things I've been reading or observing lately seem to be converging. I don't see exactly where the convergence point lies yet, even the concept of convergence is barely liminal at this point, but I think Blank White Servers are going to be part of the process.

Blank White Server (my latest moniker, previously Stem Cell Server and Server of the Crowds) seems like the inevitable next step after the other recent advancements in edge empowerment and cooperative creativity (think Wikipedia, Del.icio.us, Greasemonkey, Blogging, etc). The system I'm envisioning will allow everyone to collaborate not only on knowledge but also functionality in a powerful way. Here's a summary on my ideas in this space:

You start with a httpd server that has a file system, a data store, a user login system and a programming API for accessing these resources. Users of the system can use the API to add functionality to server. For instance some users could produce a library of code that facilitates uploading, manipulating and displaying photos. They could use this code to build a photo sharing application that lives on the server. Other users might build a nice tag API and use it to produce a del.i.cio.us-like URL tagging system. Other coders could create an API for building social networks within the user system. These new user-produced APIs could (and should) be made available to other users. So people who enjoy the photo sharing application could add in tagging and social network features easily, and now they have a Flickr clone.

So look at what just happened. The owners of the server merely hosted the service and created a skeleton of a web site and suddenly they are hosting the equivalent of one of the most popular sites on the Internet. They didn't do any of the application-specific development, they just allowed the Wisdom of the Crowds to push the innovation where the crowd deemed fit. The popularity of the website is practically guaranteed, and this is just the beginning. As time goes on the innovations will head in directions impossible to predict, but what can be predicted is that the feature-set will always be exactly what the world desires and sites that aren't tapped into this creative energy won't keep up.

Of course, not all users of the system will have the skill or inclination to create applications. Most of them will just be users. This is fine. It hasn't slowed down the spread of Greasemonkey. In fact the users of the BWS will find it easier to use than Greasemonkey since it requires no additional software other than their favorite web browser.

There can also be different levels of application building. Some hackers will enjoy working with the lower-level API coding, providing basic services that are performance-optimized. Others will use this code to build application-level components that can be dropped into place at a higher level. For instance take a look at netvibes.com. This website allows you to very easily customize a homepage (w00t, web 0.5b!) with various components like localized weather, rss feeds, and gmail (with a nice AJAX interface). Now imagine something like this except the components you could add include modules for calendar functions, audio and video players, your photo library. You as the user can design your killer web site out of components created by other users. If there's something you want that isn't available you have the power to create it or at least make requests for others to create it for you.

An important aspect of this concept is that all of the disparate components can be tied together on various levels, from the back end to the individual personal page. For example sophisticated filters (running on the server) can alert you to upcoming events that match your musical tastes, and automatically add them to your calendar. This will be enabled because you use the server for all of these functions (or include it in the loop of external apps like iTunes via web services created by module owners). Recommendations will be based on your personal habits and those of your social network. You'll have complete control of everything. If you don't like some functionality, you can use a version of the server application that omits it. It's all completely malleable. The responsibility of the server hosts is to enable this collaboration as much as possible, and stay out of the way. They can generate revenue in a variety of ways: from advertising, from the application builders who may charge users for application or component access, or from users themselves in exchange for more resource usage or more powerful API access.

So what is the next step after this? Multiple Blank White Servers in a massive peer-to-peer network of course. All sharing a common user system, with interoperable code and functionality. I've long ranted about how Friendster blew an incredible opportunity to become the social network maintainers of the entire globe. Despite being a crappy application, they were in a position to become the center of everything if they opened up their database of connections to external application developers. Countless applications (both desktop and web-based) would have been tapped into that system and presumably sharing profits with the Friendster corporation. Having a Friendster account would have been as basic as having an email account. Blank White Servers have the capability of stepping into that position, but the mantra to focus on is "let go."

I am convinced that this scenario I've been describing is assured and it will have a large impact in the near future. I'm considering building a prototype system myself, either in Java or Ruby on Rails. Other options are looking into ways to allow existing sites to get in on the action. Building Blank White Server functionality that can be incorporated into a legacy J2EE web app would be a great product in the coming years. I'm interested in building a community to explore the possibilities, if you have an opinion, please comment here or perhaps join the discussion group.

Most importantly Blank White Servers will represent a step forward in what author Robert Wright describes as the inevitable direction of human progress: towards greater cooperation and interconnectivity via nonzero-sum relationships. This is the trend that took societies from small bands to chiefdoms to city-states to nations to the World Bank. Awareness of this trend seems to be popping up all over. James Surowiecki, Mark Pesce, and Dan Gillmor are describing it. Howard Rheingold is organizing interdisciplinary study in the "literacy of cooperation."

Wright points out a problem faced by those in power. They must adopt new methods and technologies in order to compete with other powers. However these new technologies often redistribute power because they raise the non-zero-sumness of the societies involved, "and if there is one opinion common to ruling classes everywhere it is that power is not in urgent need of redistributing." Further applying Wright's writing to the matter at hand, closed sites that give you what they deem appropriate are in power today, but they are confronting near-term extinction because they face a Hobson's choice: if the trend towards an empowered, cooperating, non-zero-sum engaged user-base is ignored they'll find themselves without a user-base at all.

Comments

[Thomas]

I can definitely relate to what you're saying re: convergence/being prepared for something. It's happening alot in my life these days with my acting/music/book etc. It's like you can almost see what it's going to be but not quite. At least not yet...

It's so cool that you're seeing these types of serendipitous moments. Stick with it man, I know you're going to figure this out and come up with something amazing. You're definitely one of the sharpest guys I know!

t

[Carl]

Enjoyed the post. I've been thinking along the same lines for a bit now, and am applying to MIT's Media Lab to get some projects underway. If that falls through, I've got time and ideas (but few skills ;P). I'd be happy to help in any way. Looking for more sites and communities, too, in the MoSoSo realm and such, if you know of any. Keep on keepin' on!