The problems you had in 2006 are still problems you have in 2010. IE6, browser fragmentation, HTTP, JavaScript. I would argue that today you have TOO MUCH choice. You have people endlessly debating whether to learn Ruby or Python (but never PHP), whether HTML5 will replace Flash (sorta, kinda), whether to use -moz CSS properties and so on.
Web development has solved distribution and possibly piracy and not much else. Still struggling on mobile, still difficult to develop cross-platform, still hasn't replaced anything of importance as preached for the last three years. The web is becoming the ultimate blub.
I think the author is in the honeymoon phase when it comes to the web and open-source. Both are important, but they aren't going to win/kill/destroy the alternatives.