Flock is a web browser with some desktop clients to web service APIs tacked on. This allows for some neat integration between web applications and blurs the line between the desktop and the web, but doesn't really play to the strengths of web applications. For me the greatest strength of web applications is that I can use them on any web browser anywhere without having to install extra software on the client side. If I want Flock to support the API of a new photo sharing service, I have to install new software on every browser I use.
Flock is certainly a smarter desktop application for using the web, but it's not a smarter web user agent in the way I'm describing in this blog post. All I'm asking of a smarter web user agent is fully supporting the HTTP protocol including PUT and DELETE methods and allowing user control over Accept headers so you can choose what format (mode) you wish to view a resource in. Adding functionality to the browser to allow writing as well as reading web resources and supporting new standard markup languages like SVG, X3D and VoiceXML is worthwhile, trying to add support for every new web service API that comes along is like chasing the wind.
Amaya allows writing as well as reading web pages which is a start.
Not like Flock
Flock is a web browser with some desktop clients to web service APIs tacked on. This allows for some neat integration between web applications and blurs the line between the desktop and the web, but doesn't really play to the strengths of web applications. For me the greatest strength of web applications is that I can use them on any web browser anywhere without having to install extra software on the client side. If I want Flock to support the API of a new photo sharing service, I have to install new software on every browser I use.
Flock is certainly a smarter desktop application for using the web, but it's not a smarter web user agent in the way I'm describing in this blog post. All I'm asking of a smarter web user agent is fully supporting the HTTP protocol including PUT and DELETE methods and allowing user control over Accept headers so you can choose what format (mode) you wish to view a resource in. Adding functionality to the browser to allow writing as well as reading web resources and supporting new standard markup languages like SVG, X3D and VoiceXML is worthwhile, trying to add support for every new web service API that comes along is like chasing the wind.
Amaya allows writing as well as reading web pages which is a start.