How Will Web Freelancers Handle the Move Beyond The Browser?

Jack Aaronson is talking about "beyond the browser" in ClickZ today. Jack. We've already moved beyond the browser. Dozens of companies are using things like Flash Remoting to extend the capabilities of their site through highly interactive rich-media pieces of their site. Many site designers realize that we've moved beyond the page-based paradigm in web design and are now breaking into more "application development." than ever before.

What I'd like to focus on is this: What does this transition mean for the small developer?

When I was in college back in 1994, I was doing small time web dev for the college and a freelance client. Many others around me were doing sites as freelance work with basic HTML skills. Up until now, you could still get away with this. Many freelancers (most from graphic design roots) have become good web designers and even picked up HTML along the way.

Enter .NET:

We experienced this little transition within my last employer when we were deciding to move to .NET while simultaneously deciding to incorporate more Flash-based rich-media into the site. Where did we draw the lines? IT wanted to do the .NET stuff, but they wouldn't touch Flash? How can you seperate the two when they are now so intertwined? Moreoever, how does this bode for the graphic designer/web developer who is NOT an application developer by nature?

I don't have any answers in this post. Stay tuned for more. However, the point is, we will get to a day when rich-media in the "application based paradigm" vs. "page based paradigm" is the way of the web, for much of the web. HTML isn't going anywhere, but it's also not growing. Everything from project management nuances to freelancer's paychecks is about to change.