[benbeltran]

I don't think the whole "Desktop in the Web UI" fad is good for the web.

A lot of apps that are used in the desktop could be easily ported to the web without the need of windows like this. There are other ways to do it, AJAX allows for them.

What works in the desktop doesn't necessarilly work in the web.

[LogicHoleFlaw]

I agree. It seems like a lot of these web-desktop UI libraries are just reinventing X11, poorly. The web has its own tropes and idioms. The availability of performant and standards-compliant Javascript is changing what's possible, but that doesn't mean we need to just reimplement the previous paradigm.

[dhotson]

Have you ever used meebo?

It's one case where I think the metaphor works quite well.

[benbeltran]

Actually you're right about meebo. But I've used several other "Desktop on the web" websites or sites that use this paradigm and generally I think there must be another way because that doesn't really work for me.

Now imagine if those kinds of idea of decentralization were used in a modern OS for certain configurations and stuff...

[dhotson]

I don't quite follow.. what do you mean by decentralization?

.. do you mean something like having your desktop settings on a central server? ..something like apple's new Mobile Me?