[IncRnd]

That's just not true.

1. Networking isn't the number one source of complexity, since local apps can be bloated, slow, buggy, and complex.

2. Security is not a consequence of networking. A non-networked system can be insecure, and a networked system can be secure. Security is more normally viewed in the context of confidentiallity, integrity, and availibility along with the concepts of authentication, authorization, and accountability.

3. Compatibility is not a consequence of either networking or security.

Your comment makes it seem that you believe complexity comes from having to adhere to constraints. That attitude is the issue! Not wanting to adhere to constraints is why software is bloated, complex, full of thousands of components, slow, etc.

[akkartik]

It still seems useful to consider how security and compatibility add complexity to our software stacks, even if the causal chain of networking -> security -> compatibility isn't right.