Recalling the still-simmering Browser Wars in 2002, Steve Champeon makes a pretty good point.

The past six years have brought enormous change, standardization, and stability (not to mention top-notch implementations) from the major browser vendors. And that isn’t just because “Microsoft won the war.” We all won the browser wars. Compromises were made on both sides, and the Web of tomorrow will bear as much resemblance to the antebellum days of Mosaic as your desktop resembles that of Bartleby the scrivener.

When browsers compete, we all win. When services and software and platforms compete, we all win. Innovation can’t happen in a vacuum. It’s a lesson that today’s web is starting to remember again.