These days, I‘m very interested in a new generation of Web development systems like Grav. These flat-file applications do away with the database complexity and security challenges of Wordpress and Drupal, but still offer engaging user experiences and content management. The rise of static site generators like Github Pages and Gatsby is another key trend that I‘m exploring.

Software interfaces can now be found everwhere: our phones, our cars, our music systems, our refrigerators. This has amplified the need for concise, accurate, and easily accessible documentation. My current preoccupations in this area include Markdown with Pandoc to generate Word + Web + PDF documentation from one source, and Hype for animating the Web.

It‘s not exactly news that the Internet has transformed the way we learn, alone and in groups. The rise of Khan Academy, video conferencing, mobile apps for learning, chatbots, and augmented reality are only part of this picture. I‘m currently curious about collective online learning with services like zoom.us and Google classroom.

Open source software and open standards are the reason you‘re able to read this. From Tim Berners-Lee and the birth of the Web to billions of Android mobile devices to the rise of Bitcoin, open source software has played a central and defining role in the development of our online world. Unless there is a compelling reason not to, I recommend the Open Web.