Web Things, by Mark Baker

Via service-orientated-architecture, a good article, with a great point;

Having a JavaSpaces foundation makes it possible to tackle the modernization of an enterprise application portfolio in a distributed fashion. It becomes possible to modernize front ends without petrifying back ends by agreeing on an abstract middle layer to which all the actual IT assets can connect without concern for what’s on the other side. It lets each center of responsibility make its own decisions about the relative urgency of various goals so that those who have budget accountability also get to decide what will be done when-an essential part of any rational goal-setting process.

Very well said, especially the “abstract middle layer” bit. Of course, there’s nothing special about JavaSpaces in this regard; any interface constrained around an abstraction, be it a space, a resource, or an email inbox, will buy you these same benefits.

So if similar architectural styles to JavaSpaces are the evolution of Web services, and Web services are the evolution of the Web, then why does JavaSpaces look so much like the Web?