to expand your point about layers and linux apps
Most applications on the linux platform are written for the command line interface. With the output for user interaction just being sent to stdout.
This means that the application can easily be given a GUI front end any time, which is what created most GUI based applications for linux. OR, you can put it into the cgi area and use it as a web app with just a wrapper to add the headers and links needed.
While the Common Gateway Interface is currently out of vogue for perceived security risks, it is still one of the better ways to gain a stateful connection within the http environment, without the additional security risks of active clientside scripting.
Thinking about the idea of the blog entry, I will hazard a prediction, that we will see significant improvements in web app design for the thin client model that is behind the entry from the open source community long before we see such from any proprietary software house. It is an easier step from any of the open source operating systems with their excellent cli environments to move into the thin client distributed applications market than from the commercial / proprietary systems obese client environment.
[ caveat: though getting the open source community to see the need is required before this will happen ]
