Appage?

First and foremost, "App" is an abbreviated form of the term application. Applications, in computer terminology, are basically a code created in order to fulfill a certain task, and they rely on an existing operating system and coding language. In short, apps can be used interchangeably with the term program in computer terminology.

Personally, I have always preferred the term program, but recently it has shifted in popularity a bit. Generally, program refers to something that runs on your computer, and app refers to something that runs on any other device. This is not very logical, as I have always thought of apps as what they are, applications, which are programs. But, apparently now thanks to multimedia capable cell phones, iPods, and iPads, among many others, it is much more amazing and hip to refer to them as apps. I feel this is simply because it sounds like a new and exciting term. Even the computer illiterate understand what a program is, but apps appear to be some new and mystical technology. Nevertheless, programs are applications, and applications are programs.

Now that this sleek and sexy application craze has taken root, basic web browsing on a computer is seeing a large decline. Arguments have also been made, with substance, that apps will eventually replace the web, but that they will, however, not destroy the amazing phenomenon we know as the internet. Here is yet another confusing use of computer terminology.

The internet is a connection of computers that link to servers which have the ability to exchange information globally. It is much easier to think of the internet as phone lines, or now with even more increases in technology, a cellphone tower. The internet is the hardware required to transfer the information. The web, however, is made up of servers that host the content accessed by the user, and usually many sites link to one another, hence the name web. The web is the content, and the internet is how the content is accessed.

Visiting the web has declined, but through the use of apps, the traffic on the internet has increased. This may seem puzzling at first, but basically, apps are generally not used without accessing the internet to update or retrieve information. With the exceptions of simple calculators and games, apps usually rely on retrieving information for the user to see.

I do not feel that the web will disappear, but I do find that many people are being mislead due to the terminology. It is hard to create profits from websites, however, if you can deliver someone the content they want no matter where they are, they will most likely take advantage of it. But how does this create profit and fund capitalism you ask? (hopefully) well, rather than waiting to get to a computer, wouldn't it be nice to be able to pull out your cellphone on the bus and see how your friends are doing? Maybe your bored and just want to read something to pass the time, entertainment is worth a couple dollars right? Well then jump on the bandwagon and stay connected 24/7! All the cool kids are doing it, and besides, you don't want to be a square now, do you kid?