Smalltalk and Object Orientation: an Introduction - Free

Thanks mostly to Java, object technology is seen as the developer’s Web technology. This therefore
means that it is likely that much of the development in object technology will be Web driven (we have
already considered some of its effects above). This will probably continue to grow and may have both a
positive and detrimental effect. The positive effect will be that many new and existing companies will
adopt object technology, many other companies will move to support their requirements an d many new
start up companies will be created. Over time many of these companies will close down again only to
be replaced by other small start up companies. It is within these companies that many of the most
innovative ideas will probably be generated (co nsider Netscape as an example). This will be a very
creative and dynamic time.
However there are two possible results of this. One is that object technology becomes so successful
that companies such as Microsoft consider it a part of their core business and move into the market with
such force that they come to dominate. I have always believed that monopolies (or virtual monopolies)
are a bad idea and certainly tend to be bad for any industry. The other concern is that object technology
becomes so tightly l inked to the Web in people’s minds that the technology providers ignore other
aspects of the computer world and focus solely on the Web (which I believe would be a mistake). Such
a close binding might have a short term benefit, but let us hope that when th e Web bubble bursts or
when the next great new thing comes along, object technology is not left behind with the Web and
ignored.
283