Fascinating post over at The Next Net about how we'll be seeing a helluva lot more Web widgets in 2007:
"The reason Web widgets are important is because they are the most concrete manifestation of something else that is happening. The Web is splintering. Centralized portals don't matter anymore in an era when Google and Digg will filter the ever-changing Web for you much more efficiently. Or you can filter it yourself with a few well-chosen widgets, and bring it to your own particular corner of the Web."
Writer Erick Schonfeld also makes the point that widgets could herald the death of the page view as a measure of site popularity. Will advertisers be demanding to know site-owners' widget rating instead? Which should at least be entertaining if Jonathan Ross ever presents any new media industry awards...