Web Model for Business Computing

After reviewing the Vendor Model for Business Computing, it is now time to look into the web model. To refresh your memory for a moment here, the fundamental differences boil down to how each model treats data vs business logic.

As we've seen, vendor model tends to freely expose the data, while jealously hiding the business logic. It operates on the fundamental premises that data is deadwood that can only be animated thanks to their marvelous business logic. Without their magical proprietary processing logic, the data remains useless and thus worthless.

Consequently, vendor model insists that we pay good money to gain access to their beloved processing logic.

Web Model is for Humans

Unlike the vendor model, the web model was built with human beings in mind. Instead of insisting that some cryptic, arcane and privileged proprietary business logic be the animator of the data, web model leaves data animation to the most suitable subjects -- human users.

This is why products based on the web model have nothing to hide when it comes to the processing logic. They don't deem this logic very important. As a matter of fact, such products leave almost all of the decisions as to how one would like the data processed to the human users.

Which is where that decision rightly belongs, after all is being said and done.

Web Model Hides the Data

Quite surprisingly, as much as the web model liberates us from the slavery of being governed by some secretive proprietary processing logic, it is equally adamant that we don't gain access to the data.

Instead, web model insists that we only gain access to the representation of the data. But as to what the actual data looks like, or how does it really feel like, we remain forever mystified.

We'll talk some more in the upcoming series about why is such arrangement a much better thing for all consumers of software.