With the advent of the AJAX web model, there has been a lot of buzz about bringing productivity apps to the masses via the browser. This InfoWorld article about Google and Sun teaming up to bring StarOffice via the web makes me yawn.

First, let me clarify that I am envisioning some kind of AJAX-like office suite that requires users to be continually connected to the Internet to function properly. If this is some kind of download then disconnect model, then what I am about to say it moot.

The idea of weblications makes me say "Yuck!" Why? Let me give you two examples. Note, that while both examples revovle around issues I have had with Google, I know that the same things could happen with Hotmail or any other type of weblication. I use Gmail for one of several email identities I maintain. Its nice. I am not found of the interface and I honestly don't find it all that more compelling than Hotmail except for the integrated search which I think rocks. Otherwise, its just another web based email program.

• Example #1:I received an email from a friend of mine with details on where we were going to get together for dinner. As I was walking out the door, I realized I had forgotten to write the address down. Back into Gmail I went, got the address, and hit the road. What's the problem you ask? What if I had been away from my home when I realized I needed that address? With a PC based app, like Outlook, I would have that email available to me locally. No need for an internet connection. But with Internet based weblications, if I don't have an internet connection, I am SOL.
• Example #2:Again, using Gmail, I composed a fairly lengthy email to someone. Took about 10 minutes to write. I clicked send - Poof! Email lost and a web page from Google saying that Gmail was temporarily unavailable. Not a trace of my email to be found. If Gmail where my only way to send email, I would have been off the air for at least 10 minutes since I stopped checking to see if Gmail were available after that amount of time had passed. It may have been longer, but I stopped checking. With a PC app, a well written one at least, I would have at least some shred of my work left. I could have continued to have composed email while I waited for the email delivery service to come back. Another point of failure is introduced in this model.

Maybe its just me being a dinosaur and liking my apps to be local. I am not a beliver that high-speed wireless FREE internet access is going to be ubiquitious in the next 18 months. I don't like having all of "my stuff" floating out there in the cloud potentially inaccessible. What if I had composed an important document and I couldn't get to it, or large parts of it were lost during creation.

Now, you turn email, calendaring, document storage, etc. into a cool set of web services that my smart client can interact with and plug into the provider of my choice - well now you have something.