Apparently Google has had enough of Al Gore.

That’s the only logical explanation for its apparent decision to reinvent the web starting with the removal of http:// from web addresses.

…Google recently made a change in the developer version that ruffled some feathers: the URL field will no longer show the “http://”. This made a lot of people very upset…For a while now, Mobile Safari has been doing something similar, although I do think in that case, it’s about saving space. On Mobile Safari, the scheme is hidden until you tap the URL field to edit. The developer version of Google Chrome takes this a step further, and omits the scheme completely

And, why not? Who actually enjoys typing in those characters? After more than a decade of doing so, I still sometimes stop to think if it’s “://” or “//:” – it makes sense to get rid of something so redundant.

Except, when it’s not redundant.

You see, there are still many applications and web services that insist on you using the “http://” when providing them with a web address. So, while Google might think we can do without these 7 annoying characters, the rest of the world isn’t on the same page.

Now, this could all be an oversight by Google–after all, this is a developer build–but it could also mean the beginning of a new internet. One that doesn’t involve Al Gore!