An interesting post, but...<p><i>Should we always use a power drill for everything... even when a regular old fashioned screwdriver might suffice? And what of a hammer?! A jigsaw?</i><p>This is not like the situation with the HTML5/Silverlight/Flash/Apple battle for developer mind share.<p>- Information is more important than physical things, because information lasts forever and is often unique.<p>- Locking information up in such a way that it <i>permanently</i> has a gate keeper or cannot be accessed by everyone is not a good thing.<p>- Through the choices developers make they directly select which technologies succeed.<p>- The technologies that succeed will change what information is available and to who. (For example, if Silverlight wins, Linux users stop being able to watch Internet video. If Apple wins then everyone has to fork over money for a H.264 license. If Flash carries on winning then that's hardly perfect either.)<p>None of these outcomes are going to be a particular roadblock to affluent westerners (particularly Americans and/or people who aren't rigid idealists), but the impact on the developing world and also the startup environment will be pretty big.<p>Therefore picking sides in this particular technology struggle seems totally justified to me.