Netscape Founder Says Web Browsing Innovation Dead

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Netscape Founder Says Web Browsing Innovation Dead

Posted by timothy on Tuesday July 1, 2003 @01:53PM from the 640k dept.

mattOzan writes "Marc Andreessen told Reuters today that browser innovation ended five years ago (which would put us at about Navigator 4.5 beta -- what was so innovative about that? The "What's Related" button? Beatnik integration?) "Navigation is an embarrassment. Using bookmarks and back and forth buttons -- we had about eighteen different things we had in mind for the browser." Well, pass me the NDA and tell me what they were!"

18 of 895 comments (clear)

sounds like by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-01 13:55 · Score: 3, Funny

a sore loser to me...
Marc Andreessen is an old man by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-01 13:56 · Score: 5, Funny

In "internet years." Next thing he'll be saying "When I was a kid, we have 256 colors, and we liked it! And only 216 of them were palette safe and that was even better!"
You mean dead like Stephen King at age 55? by rinkjustice · 2003-07-01 14:02 · Score: 3, Funny

Now you've got me bummed out again. I guess I'll go read "IT" again.

--
SEO Copywriter. Just Say ON
Ya Ya Ya by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-01 14:04 · Score: 3, Funny

"Marc Andreessen told Reuters today that browser innovation ended five years ago."

In the same breath,

"Reuters told Marc Andreessen today that he should have ended five years ago."

What's up Marc?
Re:Not really... by KingAdrock · 2003-07-01 14:35 · Score: 4, Funny

I completely agree.

-any webprogrammer/designer
It's a good thing he's dead... by WIAKywbfatw · 2003-07-01 14:39 · Score: 4, Funny

...because the number of software patents alone in the 1990s would have given him a heart attack.

--

"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Hi! My name is Clippy! by 0x00 · 2003-07-01 14:46 · Score: 5, Funny

Your browsing appears inefficent, why not try...

I'd continue but its making me feel ill.

--

othy
God... by Kjella · 2003-07-01 15:00 · Score: 5, Funny

You made me feel like a really really old man now, when I was a kid we didn't have no fancy 256 colors. We had 16 colors on a Commodore 64, and we liked it. Btw, I'm 24.

Kjella

--
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Re:1998 - Good Times by jayayeem · 2003-07-01 15:27 · Score: 5, Funny

Don't forget that you could still say 'You can't get a viruse just by reading email.' That's just a hoax.

Yes... Good Times.

--
I metamoderate, therefore I am
Re:Absurd by rifftide · 2003-07-01 15:28 · Score: 3, Funny

Andreessen's funny assertion that innovation is dead reminds me of a story I once heard (and whose truth I question, but I digress) about some European country that, towards the end of the 19th century, had a government that voted on closing down its patent offices. Why? Because everything that would ever be invented had already been invented. Of course, we would look back on that and think it is absurd.
Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea.
Re:luxury - shier luxury! by cryptor3 · 2003-07-01 15:51 · Score: 3, Funny

ppfft! Back in my day we only had black!
And sometimes not even that!
(Internet Assistant) You appear to be... by phorm · 2003-07-01 16:00 · Score: 5, Funny

browsing for porn. Would you like to:
a) View quality free XXX sites
b) Optimize your mouse/keyboard for better one-handed surfing
c) Find out how to clear your cache before mom comes home
Re:Whats wrong with current browsers? by krumms · 2003-07-01 16:20 · Score: 5, Funny

I compare browsing to the mechanics of reading a book: Book -> TOC -> Chapters -> Pages... if ya wanna get fancy, then throw in an index or bib.

With that mindset, viewing web pages are the equivalent to turning pages...

Right, except that if the average web site was a book, a third of the pages would be ripped, another third pissed on and finally a third with page after page of "EnglishScript error on line 4 of page 451. Do you want to debug?"
Re: Not true. by V.P. · 2003-07-01 17:00 · Score: 5, Funny

5 buttons? Pffft. I bought this amazing gadget with 108 (that's one hundrend and eight) buttons on it (and it only set me back $5!)
Technology never ceases to amaze me.
Re:Not true. by unsinged+int · 2003-07-01 17:24 · Score: 5, Funny

You left out the gesture for when the browser crashes.
Re:No Flash = No Homestar Runner = Sad Sad World by davejenkins · 2003-07-01 17:55 · Score: 4, Funny

BURNINATION to anyone who questions the need for homestar runner!!!!!!

BURNINATION to Marc!!!

--
davejenkins.com |
Re:1998 - Good Times by GrandCow · 2003-07-01 20:39 · Score: 5, Funny

Duke Nukem Forever still a possibility of coming out before the next glacier slides across continental US soil

--
"Well kids, you tried your best, and you failed. The lesson is, never try." -Homer Simpson
Re:The comments are old by carlos_benj · 2003-07-02 02:26 · Score: 4, Funny

These quotes were made about a week ago.

And we all know what great strides have been made in browser innovation in the past week.....

The out of context statement I might buy, but excusing the comments as old might work if they were two years old, but a week?

--
--

As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.