Re: A Heretic's View on Web (Browser) Payments

On 17 January 2015 at 06:42, Anders Rundgren <anders.rundgren.net@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> In theory a browser-based Web-app could do the same things as native
> applications, right?
>

Browsers are exactly that.  Tools for browsing.  The current generation of
browser follow mosiac in that you can read but not write.  This makes
browsers good tools for balances but not good tools for sending money.

Next generation browsers  can take full advantage of the web stack which
will allow universal payments.  You can do the same today with apps and
plugins. or by using the minimal tools built in.

Vendor specific solutions are not good candidates for W3C work, as the W3C
is a vendor neutral organization.  Is that something you feel as negative?


>
> The fact is that it does not and that the gap isn't diminishing.  If we
> take my favorite
> topic ("Secure AND Convenient Payments on the Web"), Apple Pay and similar
> show that local
> wallets reign.  Trying to put wallets in the browser is a technical (but
> to date unverified)
> possibility but the more I look into this the less attractive it appears
> to be.
>
> Why would users and vendors be interested in maintaining *two* different
> wallet environments?
> Wouldn't it be easier (well, "easy" isn't the right word here...) to
> rather "call" the local
> (native) wallet from the browser to maintain a *unified*
> Look-and-feel/Security/API/Etc/Etc?
>
> I don't see this as a failure but as a *pragmatic* and *market-oriented*
> way forward.
> FWIW, this is at least what I will waste my limited cycles on this year.
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if Apple already has this going but if you bet on
> full distribution
> (=not relying on a central "SuperProvider") there's still a slim chance
> making a change.
>
> What about server-wallets?  Well, that's already done, it is called PayPal.
>
> Best
> Anders
>
>
>