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Google is releasing the beta of its first web browser on Tuesday 2 September - US time, and if the media information Google has released is accurate, the product could reshape the face of web browsing over the next few years.
Google Chrome is the company's first foray into the web browsing market - but represents a step to the left and a jump to the right of previous web browsing technologies.
The fully open source browser implements a range of new features to speed up browsing, reduce the impact of malware and prevent browser crashes - it's more of an operating platform for web applications than a window for viewing web pages.
Google's media release (shaped in the form of a comic) explains the features extremely well for a lay person, and has me quite excited as to the possibilities the browser opens for web developers.
The beta, set to be released on Tuesday - US time - appears to me and to others to be aimed squarely at Microsoft, taking the wind out of their build-up to Internet Explorer 8, which went into public beta last week.
Strategically, in my view, this is a great move for Google.
What does this mean for government web managers
More options requiring support
The first thing it means is that there are likely to be three major browsers to support over the next few years, Internet Explorer (in various versions), Firefox and Google Chrome - with some minor players including Safari and Opera.
Later note: Google Chrome is using the same (open source) rendering engine as Apple's Safari, which should simplify part of the process of supporting the browser.
Need to quickly review and align code to preserve user experience
Given Google's search dominance I expect a fast initial take-up rate, with up to 15 percent of website users trialing the product in the next few months (I'll reflect back on this in two months to see how accurate I was).
This means that website managers need to take a look at the rendering engine used by Google (WebKit) and ensure that their sites are compliant. Otherwise they may see falling traffic or increased help desk calls as users struggle to use forms and other functionality.
More ability to move functionality online
The new browser opens a number of new possibilities for website managers, with multi-threaded javascript allowing more complex and faster web applications. This opens the playing field for better web-based tools, allowing more functionality to move online.
It also, in part, ensures that Google's own stable, including Google Docs, Gmail, Blogger, Youtube and Gears, will run faster and more efficiently (sound familiar? Microsoft has a similar ecosystem with Windows and Microsoft applications).
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Ready for the Google Chrome web browser? | Tweet |
Survey on Intranet use/adoption of Web 2.0 technologies | Tweet |
James Robertson of Step Two Designs has posted about a survey being conducted by Prescient Digital Media exploring intranet use and adoption plans for Web 2.0 technologies.
To participate and receive a copy of the aggregate results (plus a chance to win a US$400 prize) complete the short (10 minute) survey.
Government must follow the rules when engaging communities online | Tweet |
As a law-maker, governments are often more attuned to making the laws and being in the position of controlling and defining the terms of engagement with communities.
Agencies and departments often consult external stakeholders, but on their own terms - choosing the place, the medium and the scope of discussions.
There's good reasons for this, an organism - or organisation - that is in control of its environment feels safer and can manage the depth and cost of engagements.
However, when engaging with existing communities online, government agencies need to be aware that they do not control the ground rules, and must respect and follow the rules of the community to be respected and accepted in return.
This means being able and willing to have authentic conversations, steering clear of defensive behaviour, using clear and simple language, listening actively and not shying away from difficult conversations.
Fortunately there are no shortage of guides for working with communities online as companies often have as much difficulty in engaging as do government agencies.
One such guide was posted recently at the Aussie Bloggers Blog, It's just like a party, providing 13 tips for effective engagement in online forums.
It provides a useful framework for public engagement in the medium.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Online collaboration article from Step Two | Tweet |
Cairo Walker of Step Two Designs has written an excellent article on collaboration, looking at the use of digital tools and approaches to facilitating adoption within organisations.
Entitled Collaboration: leading by example, the article includes a case study on the World Wildlife Fund detailing how a not-for-profit organisation can productively implement collaboration tools that meet the needs of staff.
How Internet Explorer 8 beta performs - new features to add to toolkit | Tweet |
I installed the public beta of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 on my personal laptop last week to look at how well my agency's sites were reflected in the browser, and to get more of a feel for the new features it adds to the mix.
I'm pleased to say that just about all the sites I looked at using the browser performed well, with only a few minor issues with form field lengths and div handling.
The browser has certainly played catch-up, taking on all of the great features I am already using in Firefox 3 (such as the smart address bar), making them available to a broader audience who have not tried other browsers before.
A couple of new features may also provide benefits to organisations innovative enough to use them. I'll be feeding some ideas back into my agency to see where we can get to, as below.
Web Slices
This features is a way for websites with frequently updating content to enable users to subscribe to be notified when content changes.
The user benefit is that they do not have to scan through their favourite sites regularly to see whether anything has changed, they can get on with higher priority activities and allow a visible notification in their web browser to let them know when content on a favourite site has been updated.
It works well for news items, stock quotes and other frequently updating content, providing a soft in-browser alternative to RSS feeds (which remain underutilised by the broader online community).
Time will tell how popular this function becomes, but as a way to push market website content, rather than relying on people coming back, it may be beneficial to organisations who have a need to distribute information rather than passively wait and hope their audience returns.
Accelerators
Accelerators are tools to allow users to right click on website content and access specific functionality from third-party online providers. For instance, right-click an address and choose to view it in Google maps, or right-click on text and translate the language using another website.
This adds to current right-click functionality that supports functions from local applications, extending the user's operating system onto the web.
Organisations can add specific functionality, such as legal definitions, purchase information or who to contact for more information.
I would be particularly interested in functionality that can be added on a site-specific basis, such as providing links and definitions from the Child Support Act when on the CSA website, and from Centrelink legislation when on the Centrelink website, however this may not be supported in Internet Explorer 8 - though there might be ways around this.
