UIs: the languages of the Internet Age (Score 1)

Most threads so far have pinpointed the major dilemma regarding alternate UIs and the free-source movement in general: UI consistency encourages wide-spread use, but variety encourages individual freedom and customizability... Although I have nothing to add to the sides, I think the nature of the discussion should be put in a different light, one that puts the issue in a broader prespective. (I don't think this has been mentioned before, although I admit I didn't read all 272 comments).

Basically, UIs are to the 21st century what ink was to the 16th century, what type writers were to the early 20th century, and what language itself was to early homo sapiens. UIs are the tools through which all future communication is going to be channeled. Taken like this, I think we can already tell what will/is happen/already happening to UIs: UIs will go the way of the spoken word, the way of the writing utensil or the way of the type writer. We will neither have a single UI design governing all application nor a plethora of completely different designs. Rather we are likely to end up with some number of substantially different designs that share basic functionality (like, say, English and French) and still have room within themselves for variation (like British English and American). How will this happen? Probably through some version of natural selection (that includes things like Marketting, Monopolies, and other goodies that we have to deal with). This doesn't mean that we shouldn't emphasize good design, etc. It just means that we may already know the outcome of this debate.