Tim Berners-Lee, seen as the inventor of the Web, is optimistic about its future. Although he sees several causes for concern, Berners-Lee believes that the Web is ready to make a big leap forward-a leap that might transform it into the environment for open collaboration that he first envisioned.

“My personal view is that a lot of it is coming together now,” Berners-Lee said. “The whole industrial environment is more exciting . . . . I get a feeling of upsurge in activity.”

Yet he believes there are several trends and behaviors that must be eliminated. The tiered service that Internet providers are beginning to offer, which charges customers more to have their data receive a higher priority, is one example of this. In his blog, Berner-Lee said he tried to make the Web “a universal, neutral platform.” He doesn’t think he’s the only who will object to tiered services, adding, “The public will demand an open Internet.”

Berners-Lee is also concerned about “spam in general and particularly phishing.” On a related issue, he wants clearer notifications on “safe” websites. “Now if a Web site exchanges a certificate, a little lock appears but it does not tell you that. A consumer is not aware of it and may be at a site that looks official but may not be his bank at all. What you need is a browser that knows what you’re connecting to and tells you.”

It seems kind, almost overly indulgent, for the inventor of the Web to accommodate individuals who might fail to notice such markings, but this is an example of how Berners-Lee wants the Web to become more safe and user-friendly.

If the inventor of the Web thinks these are the things that must be done (or in some cases, not done), who are we to argue? By the same token, his optimism is welcome. “You can see so many ways the Web is taking off in so many different directions,” Berners-Lee said.

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Doug is a staff writer for webproworld. Visit webproworld for the latest eBusiness news.