Dear Google: Please fork WebKit →
Haavard makes a wish, Dear Google: Please fork WebKit:
Not only would Google be in complete control of its own engine, but it would be a major blow to virus and malware authors, and it would give a much-needed boost to open Web standards.
It’s a little confusing that WebKit seems like Apple’s Safari nightly - which it isn’t. Google has its Chromium pages, which are for development versions of Chrome.
In a way, by creating the V8 JavaScript Engine, Google has already started doing this. Also, the fact that Chrome already surpassed Safari in desktop browser share, would give them leverage to make their forked WebKit the new reference point.
However, the real battle is in mobile browsing, where the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch combination is still kicking Android’s butt.
Still, complete vertical control is a trend Google has been following since Chrome was introduced, so I won’t be too surprised if this fork does happen in the next year.
