[bruce511]

I feel like you're describing pretty much every industry ever.

You could be talking about food, or insurance or cars or planes or health or (dare I say it?) politics.

Of course there are well understood commercial reasons for industries consolidating. Primarily because consumers prefer it.

But while your post is good on rhetoric, it still lacks the concrete definition I seek. Specifically what hardware, OS, VM software, site-creation tools, subscription options, advertising networks, payment processors, and so on must I use to reach "Open web" status?

You're describing a world, which is a fair desire. But when I go to the local bakery to pitch an online presence, what exactly am I pitching, and how does this pitch serve the goals of that bakery?