Some say that the second Internet bubble is upon us. I think they might just be right, based on the amount and complexity of work that has been coming in to us at work. This time, however, it’s considerably more
robust and “pop-proof” (or at least we all hope so). The ideas that inflated the first bubble seem to have
risen from the ashes of that first wave. The idea of the Internet as Desktop and Desktop as Internet.
The dreamy “thin client” that was going to be everywhere, cheaply and clawing its way onto your TV, into your
car and on the front of your refrigerator. Rockets on your shoes and teleporters and the whole thing, too.

So maybe it’s apt that I’m here in Orlando, so close to Kennedy Space Center where, back in the 1960s, we
actually did make the impossible possible without an implosion. Lives aren’t on the line in the Internet,
and so such irrational exuberance can lead to such things. The hype was believed back then, but now the
people behind the scenes are wiser for the experience. There were so many great, grand ideas in the late
90′s, but so little consideration and so much money doesn’t fly in the world of the Internet.

In the meantime, things have settled down on the Internet. The browser wars have gone from hot to cold, and
the medium that is the Internet is a little more predictable with fewer outliers. This has allowed companies
like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (and a thousand smaller joints) to create applications for all people, all
browsers, all platforms that *work* and bring a little of the promise of the grand ideas of the late 90′s.

Gmail, Google Maps, Flickr, digg.com, etc. all make use of these grand ideas, like /your data on the web/ and
/the web as read/write/ and the web as a moving, usable and up-to-date desktop application. The technologies
behind these are various and sundry (mostly sundry), but focus primarily on the easy exchange of easily
readable data. Things like map info, stock information, search results, whatever. Make that information easily
available and portable and great things happen.

The reason why I am here at php|tek 2006 is specifically for PHP, but a lot of the content so far has centered
around that overarching idea of what I was just musing about. The “Web 2.0″, the “next generation”, whatever
you’d like to call it. How does PHP fit in there? How is it changing to fit in? Knowing just where the
tech on the web is heading is truly the only way to know what is going on in PHP.

PHP is one of the most widely-used, profilic and advanced technologies used on the web. Rasmus Lerdorf started
PHP back in 1995 and has been instrumental in it’s development ever since. He now works for Yahoo!, and seems to
be focused on these emerging Internet technologies. Suffice it to say, he remains very much a “blue-collar” guy
who created and directs the development of a technology that has affected so much of the “white-collar” world.

Rasmus’ keynote speech earlier this morning was considerably less “high-level” than I had expected. This is what I have come to expect from the open-source world. The people who are making the changes and pushing things forward still have their hands dirty in the real world. However, those people who are truly successful are the odd ones who can do so and still keep a grip on the big picture. I get the feeling the Rasmus is one of those
people. He, in his hour-long keynote presentation (I wouldn’t call it a speech), explained by example and in code the pitfalls of the new-school web apps, and how to mitigate those pitfalls. He also showcased how PHP can simply and easily be integrated into these “Web 2.0″ apps. An interesting blend of real-world considerations, code and examples that underscored how important is the inter-relation between technologies.

An unusual keynote, for sure. Part of me was hoping for more of a “state of PHP” sort of address, but much like any good programmer, you leave that stuff for the brass, and get down to nitty-gritty with the troops. I’m sitting here in shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops, so what else should I expect? More later!

You can check out Rasmus’ presentation in it’s entirety here: talks.php.net/show/tek06

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