Blink, WebKit, Google, Chrome, Mozilla, Servo; oh the insanity! … right?

Developer Jonathan Christopher on the big announcement that Chrome is splitting away from Webkit into its own engine, Blink:

I can’t help but be super psyched about this announcement. While a big, short-sighted part of me finds the whole Google aspect unsettling, I think I stand behind what positive byproducts of these changes. We can’t deny Apple’s direct influence on the WebKit project, and we can’t look past the changes that will happen with that project once the Google contributions cease. We need to keep in mind though that it might be inspirational for both projects which in turn benefits the world at large.

I generally share Christopher’s enthusiasm. My first reaction was largely negative: will we to have to run different testing and development patterns for Safari and Chrome? But of the “big four” tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google), Google is pushing our perception of the web forward the most. I’m excited to see what they’ll do with Blink and Chrome moving forward.