I believe it's called capitalism.

Specifically, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_destruction

"google blocked old browsers in favor of html5"

Why is this a negative thing? The old browsers are a pain in the ass and the web will be far richer once they are gone and new ones replace them.

I doubt that even Microsoft wants IE6 around at this point. Too much negative publicity compared to the eroding advantage of keeping the web semi-broken-ish. Grandma probably has upgraded already, or at least one of her grandkids did it for her on Thanksgiving. Corporate America is the only segment holding onto IE6 -- mostly due to poorly-written internal apps that don't work properly on modern browsers.

Apple is refusing to support Flash because Flash has stability and performance problems.

Google doesn't support old browsers because it would be a lot more work, and most people trying new stuff like Google Wave have new browsers.

Google will support Flash on Android because it's their policy to allow pretty much anything non-malicious, and because it may boost Android sales.

It's not correct to see Google as anti-iPhone. Google is pro-Android. iPhone is a competitor.

I don't understand Apple's blocking of the Google Voice app; that doesn't seem to help Apple in any way.

> I don't understand Apple's blocking of the Google Voice app; that doesn't seem to help Apple in any way.

It was supposedly at the behest of AT&T which makes sense. None of the cellular carriers want to let their lucrative voice business get cannibalised by all you can eat data plans.

Your seeing the start of an age, and this is the mess that results.

Take a little of the framing of these stories with a grain of salt. The press needs to sell headlines and "everyone loves a fight". Bloggers feel more relevant when making big, bold, and violent predictions. It's all hollywood with big explosions and {INSERT-PRODUCT-NAME-HERE}-killer devices.

All of these things are kinda like debating every block and pivot in a hard-fought basketball game. There is no smoke or fire, its just how the game is played.

I hear it became harder for horses pulling buggies on city streets after the invention of the automobile. In general, there is always competition among new and old forms of technology, and there is always competition among business enterprises. A good book to read about the subject (which goes back before the invention of the automobile) is

http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html

Note that this is FREE and in the public domain. There are other online postings of the book.

"apple is refusing to support flash in favor of html5"

I would argue Apple is not allowing Flash because it has the speed and graphics ability to compete with native apps (which Apple are monetizing).

Apple are ambivalent to HTML5 - on the one hand it improves the browser experience, but on they other they have been slow to expose the location, accelerometer and touch functionality to the browser.

http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Web-applications-on-the-iPad

Because this is their chance to make a killing and they don't want to share with the rest of the children.

Like most big bad arrogant businesses, the customer is an afterthought.

Luckily, the web is awash with alternatives. It's like the music business: there are little guys out there trying to get a break. Pay a little more and avoid the noid. Avoiding trends is good for the soul.

W.R.T. Flash....perhaps if Adobe had been a better benevolent dictator, there would not be this huge backlash. Still no 64bit Windows Flash client? [No, I'm not in favor of Flash, but Adobe certainly didn't try very hard to maintain its monopoly]

Maybe it's more that this is normal and the web has been surprisingly open in the past. Of course big companies are going to try and use their advantages to try and sway people to their platform or ideas.

This is nothing new; I personally am not old enough to have seen such things happen before but I am assured by my elders and betters it is just the next iteration.

keep the faith. :)

Personally, I love seeing this stuff at work, and I don't feel a need to cheer on anyone in particular at the moment, as they all offer something of value.

I would be more worried in the absence of any "streams of negativity".

More valuable and affordable products, also known as competition.

Look at all of the companies you just listed: amazon, macmillan, google, apple, adobe...

Those are the biggest corps in each of their respective fields, and they all somehow compete with each other in some way. Of course they're going to be battling constantly.