Comments for Why Google is Wooing Web Developers

Why Google is Wooing Web Developers

2008-05-27T07:55:01Z

Google I/O is the first event for web developers that Google has run. It happens later this week on 28/29 May and Google is expecting 2,500 people to attend. The I/O stands for "Innovation/Open" (i/o is also a programmer term input/output).

Recently I spoke with Tom Stocky, a Director of Product Management at Google, to discuss Google's sudden interest in web developers.

]]> Google and the Browser

Stocky told me that we're at an "inflection point for web app development" and that Google is all about "driving usage of the Internet". He said that the Web is now the defacto platform for application development.

To follow up on that, I asked whether the browser is still the key platform for Google. He replied that the main client for web open standards such as HTML, CSS, Javascript etc is the browser - therefore Google continues to support the browser.

But more than that, Google intends to make that client (the browser) more powerful. They also want to make the cloud (the Internet) more accessible.

Furthermore, Stocky sees the browser as being a key part of the Mobile Web going forward.

Google and RIAs

I asked what Google thinks of RIA (rich internet applications) that are run outside the browser. In particular I mentioned that Microsoft and Adobe are both pushing apps outside the browser, using their RIA platforms. Stocky replied that typically companies sell the underlying proprietary platform and then try to get developers to build on top of that (he didn't specifically mention them, but he's obviously referring to MS and Adobe). However, he said, Google's mission is to build on top of the open web platform.

Stocky said that Google not only aims to build on the open Web platform, but actively improve it. He referred to recent Google releases like Google App Engine (a developer tool that enables you to run your web applications on Google's infrastructure) and Google Gears (a browser plug-in which enables people to use web apps while offline).

Why the Sudden Interest in Developers?

I asked Stocky why has Google decided that now is the right time to get web developers behind them? I didn't mention it, but I'm sure it's no coincidence that Google's outreach to developers has happened at about the same time that tech blogs like ReadWriteWeb have gotten access to Google PR and product teams. In other words, up till this year developers and bloggers alike have been subject to a Steve Jobs-like veil of secrecy over the inner workings of Google.

Stocky told me that it's been an evolutionary thing. 2-3 years ago, he said, Google had just a couple of APIs. So there wasn't much to engage developers with at that time. Now in 2008 they have 40+ APIs and Google has "realised the benefits of investing in the open web platform". He also admitted that one of those benefits is that it enhances Google's revenue.

So web developers (and bloggers) are getting a more open, remixable Google in 2008. That's great to see - and we can only wish that a certain Cupertino-based company follows that precedent!

Web Developers, Web Developers, Web Developers!

I did my best to entice a Steve Ballmer-like chant of "Web Developers, Web Developers, Web Developers" out of Tom Stocky, but the best he would give me was: "Google is native to the Web" :-)

What do you think of the new open(ish) Google? And let us know in the comments if you're attending Google I/O and if so what do you expect to get out of it.

Related: ReadWriteTalk did a podcast with Tom Stocky in April.

Comment from Peldi on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T08:27:37Z

Of course Google is wooing developers, we enhance and validate their platform, and they don't have to pay us! Clearly they are just starting to go down the platform-ization path, but as long as developers don't have a way to charge for their add-ons or "widgets", like Google calls them (which is telling), you won't see many developers jumping on the bandwagon (myself included). This is the same reason FB doesn't have any useful apps on it. Ad-based revenue only? Please.

One small note: I noticed that you use the term RIA for connected apps that run outside the browser. Although I like the term for it, that's not a connotation that the term has had since Macromedia invented it (I think it was 2004). RIA just meant "web apps that feel like desktop apps", regardless if they are in the browser or not. I read about "fit applications" for what you describe, but I'm not sure it's so sticky. So is it time to highjack "RIA"? Will people follow your lead? :)

Comment from Carsten Ullrich on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T11:56:08Z

Currently I'm not impressed by the Google APIs. The only way to access their most interesting data, their search index, is through Javascript. In contrast, Yahoo! has a real Web interface (but correct me if I'm wrong).

Comment from Brian on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T13:44:01Z

I won free tickets to Google I/O from Mashable.com but had to turn them down. I REALLY wanted to go to this event.

You'll notice that all the major developers for the Google platforms are going to be there. I personally appreciate Google taking steps to encourage and share knowledge regarding their innovations.

I will be sulking at home while the conference is going on.

Comment from Denis on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T16:22:47Z

I for one am qute happy with Google developer story. We use Google Web Toolkit which makes AJAX programming sane and consider using Google Engine to make database administration sane. Google Android was pretty easy to program for as well.

Stop by our web site to see what we've done with it.

I have also tried Google Docs API and it was quite easy to pick up, although not as powerful and concise at the time (6 month back) as I would like it to be.

If more remixable google means more of the same I'm all for it - in fact they just couldn't move too fast.

By way of criticism I would like them to provide beter integration, e.g. between GWT and adsense - this will make them tons of money and provide extra option for our monetization.

Comment from weeklymg on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T18:13:10Z

This article overstates the newness of this. I went to Google Developer Day a year ago. What's new is just that they've expanded the focus to specifically include web developers.

It's a smart move on Google's part to encourage all sorts of developers to use their platform. Google needs developers almost in the same way that Flickr needs photographers. Creative people empowered will draw traffic and more creative people to draw more traffic, and so forth.

Comment from Pamela Fox on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T20:20:25Z

@Carsten:

This section of the AJAX search documentation may be of interest to you:
http://code.google.com/apis/ajaxsearch/documentation/#fonje

Comment from Carsten Ullrich on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T01:00:44Z

@Pamela Thanks! I didn't see that.

Comment from Sesli Sohbet on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T06:55:11Z

I am really impressed with what google offers API's etc. and i know that this is what will get them to be even more accesible and elaborative to make it easier for browsers.

Comment from Alex Pooley on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T07:36:15Z

Yeah, there's lots of good and legitimate reasons Google will give you for their actions. But at the end of the day...

With more people running through the Google systems, the more they understand about each person, and the more money they make.

Checked your browser's cookie repository lately?

Comment from Ruben Zevallos Jr. on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T10:44:24Z

When do you think about Microsoft legacy, you can say program APIs... I think Google what's to use the same MS strategy to gain market and mine MS way.

Comment from Brent Lamborn on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T15:29:59Z

It's going to be difficult for Google to compete against RIA's down the road with their Open Web Platform, in my opinion. With RIA's like Flex, and Silverlight, there are no cross-broswer issue that come with AJAX. Honestly, I can't believe Flex hasn't become more of a staple on the web than it has. Flash player is already installed on something like 99% of user machines out there. I've been working for Flex for about a month and would hate to have to go back to AJAX. UGH. Google and RIA devs are going to have to figure out how to crawl and index RIA's. Maybe it is easier for Google to push their Open Web Platform stuff, than it is for them to figure out how to index RIAs? ;)

Comment from Jon on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T22:16:31Z

It makes sense.

The more everyone uses the web, the more money google makes.

It is in their interest to do everything they can to improve the web and improve the way people use it.

On that note, I need to get some shres in google.

Comment from James Moore on 2008-05-29

2008-05-30T02:47:52Z

They're also doing more local things as well, at least here in Seattle. I've been to a few of their tech talks in Fremont, and they're hosting a one-day miniconference/extended tech talk in a couple weeks -

Seattle Conference on Scalability
http://services.google.com/events/seattle_scalability2008

Comment from David E Y Sarna on 2008-06-02

2008-06-02T13:22:47Z

A detailed discussion of Google's outreach to developers, which goes far, far beyond jawboning, is available at http://googlegazer.com/

Comment from Webguylive.com on 2008-06-04

2008-06-05T04:39:56Z

The web as a platform for applications has always been the goal of many web developers, but I think rich internet applications ( ie. desktop apps : eg. iTunes ) that are interconnected to the web would be much better proposition than using just the browser as a way to gain access to web applications.

Comment from Nicolas on 2008-06-06

2008-06-06T21:01:15Z

This is so stupid. Working so hard to make web apps that run outside the browser? If you want them outside the browser, don't make them web apps! If you want them fast, don't make them web apps! If you want them usable offline, don't make them web apps! Simple.

Comment from kral oyun on 2008-06-13

2008-06-13T14:52:14Z

thanks for this great info.