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In his talk "Stop Writing Web Apps and Change the World" at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2016 event, Dave Thomas challenges developers to shift their focus from traditional web applications to more innovative approaches that can genuinely change the world. He begins by reflecting on his previous talks, which were often pessimistic, and decides to adopt a more inspiring tone regarding the future of technology and development.

### Key Points Discussed:
- **The Death of Web Apps**: Thomas asserts that web applications are becoming obsolete as the majority of traffic moves to mobile devices, where the experience resembles that of an app. He encourages developers to stop writing traditional web apps to embrace creative coding solutions that have a genuine impact on society.
- **Embracing Unreasonableness**: He emphasizes that change demands an unreasonable mindset. Developers must be willing to take risks, innovate, and sometimes fail in order to create meaningful change. Thomas contends that the field of software development uniquely fosters this kind of thinking.
- **Historical Misconceptions**: To underscore the difficulty of predicting technological advances, Thomas shares examples of past predictions about technology that turned out to be wrong, such as skepticism about the efficacy of rockets and personal computers.
- **Open-Source Development and New Technologies**: He highlights the role of open-source projects as a gift economy where contributors share out of gratitude. New technologies, such as mesh networking and low-power communication protocols, extend connectivity and unlock further innovation.
- **The Phoenix Framework**: Thomas discusses the Phoenix framework, which he believes should not just be seen as an alternative to Rails but as a powerful tool for handling large data streams and real-time connections, encouraging developers to explore its potential.
- **Future Vision**: He invites the audience to imagine a future with seamless technology that manages personal identities and creates interconnected systems through small, powerful devices that enhance our daily lives. This future relies heavily on trust management and innovative collaboration among developers.
- **Experimentation and Innovation**: Highlighting the importance of hands-on experimentation, Thomas encourages developers to leverage cheap hardware and accessible tools to prototype new ideas, cultivate creativity, and redefine how technology is integrated into our lives.
- **Trust and Identity Management**: He outlines that as technology evolves, how we manage identity and trust within our systems is critical, suggesting potential solutions like blockchain while emphasizing community involvement in these discussions.

### Conclusions and Takeaways:
- Innovation is within reach if developers are willing to break away from traditional models.
- The future of technology will rely on interconnected systems that enhance user experiences while effectively managing identity and trust. 
- Developers have a pivotal role in shaping a vibrant narrative of technological advancement and societal change through exploration and collaboration.

Through his engaging narrative, Thomas inspires developers to ignite their curiosity and actively participate in shaping the future of technology.

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