Creating a more open social web

The W3C Social Web Incubator Group has released its final report and for anyone interested in the key issues surrounding social media and the future of the Internet it is worth a read.  The report describes in simple language what the technological challenges are to creating a more open social web and offers some practical suggestions.  The Internet and the web have become core to how we communicate, find information and do business because they are built on open standards.  Compuserve, AOL and Prodigy withered because they were walled gardens that did not want to let their users out.  These users migrated to the open web because it was a platform that allowed anyone to build a web site and offer information/services in a free market.  There is a danger that we may return to the previous state if the Internet is Balkanised through services like Facebook and the rise of apps as the primary means by which people go online.