Prediction for 2007
My main prediction for 2007 is, in a word, widgets. Yes - they’ve been around for awhile but it seems like people are just figuring out what they are and what they can do. So - what are they? Here’s the definition from Wikipedia:
Widget (computing)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about computer programming. For other uses of widget, see widget.
Various widgets. Screenshot showing Windows Vista controls.
In computer programming, a widget (or control) is an interface element that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box. Widgets are sometimes qualified as virtual to distinguish them from their physical counterparts, e.g. virtual buttons that can be clicked with a mouse cursor, vs. physical buttons that can be pressed with a finger. Widgets are often packaged together in widget toolkits. Programmers use widgets to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Here’s what the folks at Automattic (WordPress) have to say:
What is a Widget?
“Widgets” is just a silly buzzword we’ve chosen for this sidebar-chopping plug-in we have developed. They could have been called Gadgets or Gizmos or Wizbangs or Whatevers. On the surface, they’re just things you can use to personalize your WordPress site without knowing HTML. Way down deep, they may be something entirely more significant. Anyway, here’s a peek:
Of course, it seems like WordPress is taking the credit for having ‘invented’ widgets but I do think they ‘put them on the map’.
We’ve been hand coding them for a long time, but the beauty of widgets is the code is already written and all we have to do is ‘drag and drop’ or copy the HTML and insert it.
Michael Gray over at Graywolf’s SEO Blog talks about Google widgets and full rss feeds. He has some interesting comments so I urge you to take a look at what he has to say. I know many of you use the Google Reader too and since it’s been a long time since I tried it, I might have to look at it again.
I do think Widgets will be huge this year. Let’s see if I’m right.
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2 opinions for Prediction for 2007
Wealthy Webmaster
Jan 13, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Once windows Vista becomes more popular widgets will really take off (sidebar ones at least). It should be interesting to see what kind of stuff people come up with.
Cathy
Jan 15, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Yes - I’m already on the lookout!
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