Last week I wrote about the benefits of open standards versus open source. I argued that open standards provide greater protection against vendor lock-in than open source alone. I was reminded of this conclusion when reading Peter-Paul Koch's analysis of WebKit implementations. Thanks to Palm's Dion Almaer for pointing out the analysis.
Readers know WebKit as the open source Web browser engine used by several mobile and PC Web browsers, including Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome, Palm's WebOS, and the Android Web browser. In fact, Wikipedia lists 19 browsers based on the open source WebKit browser engine. As you read on, keep in mind there is no standard that vendors using WebKit must adhere to or claim certification against. A WebKit-based browser is, well, whatever the vendor wants it to be.
[ InfoWorld Test Center named WebKit one of the best open source developer tools in 2009. Find out why. | See what other products nabbed a 2009 InfoWorld Bossie Award. ]
When Koch tried out WebKit browser versions on 27 tests, he found:
Koch's testing highlights two truths. First, pity the developer whose manager or customer expects that the application will work on multiple mobile browsers "built on WebKit." Second, open source does not make it easier for customers or their developers to transition applications from, say, building for the Google Android platform to, for example, Palm WebOS.
Imagine if there were a WebKit standard and a compliance test suite that vendors had to certify against to use the WebKit brand. Customers and developers would gain protection against vendor lock-in that open standards deliver to a much higher degree than open source alone. I'm not naive enough to think that open standards equal "write once, run anywhere." But even if a WebKit open standard could drive a 50 percent improvement in compatibility across WebKit-based browsers, that would be something to write home about.
Follow me on Twitter: SavioRodrigues.
p.s.: I should state: "The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies, or opinions."
This story, "WebKit and why open standards matter," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in open source at InfoWorld.com.
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