When Wired Magazine published its controversial “Web is Dead” cover story a few weeks ago, many were quick to dismiss it as sensationalist. This was undoubtedly based on a misunderstanding. The Internet per se was not pronounced dead by the article, but rather websites as a dominant delivery mechanism for Internet content. And dead was probably not a word to be taken literally, but maybe an adjective like vulnerable comes closer to the mark. In fairness to the critics, had the article’s title been rendered in the future tense, the statement would have seemed more like a prophecy than a pronouncement, and this may have been easier to accept. Regardless, watching Steve Jobs this afternoon unveil his lineup of new products, all of which based on or supported by apps rather than web destinations, the Wired article begins to hit eerily home.

Of all the products and features unveiled by Apple this afternoon, the one that may turn out to be the biggest news is Ping. Not to take away from the elegance of new iPod models, or the sleekness of the new Apple TV device, but neither of these offerings is ground-breaking for Apple. If anything, such a comment speaks to the high expectations that the company has established in the marketplace and the high standard to which we now hold it. And although Apple TV must still prove itself after an initial false start (while other alternatives have since begun to offer more or less similar consumer possibilities), there is good reason to believe that Apple TV will make an impact. Given the company’s trademark brilliance at product launches, updates, relaunches, redesigns – notwithstanding a so-called “antennagate” hiccup that nobody now even remembers – Apple TV could well become the standard that the iPod, iPhone, and iPad have already become.

Particularly for this reason – particularly because when Apple launches a product or service it is to be taken seriously, particularly because of the company’s enormous popularity – a new social network launched by Apple should be big news. Because this launch takes Apple into an entirely new direction – Ping isn’t a device or an upgrade to one, but a new application – it should be even bigger news. (Could search be next?) And because Ping additionally happens to be in the segment now dominated by the seemingly invincible Facebook – a field that even Google has been unable to penetrate – it may be huge news… for all involved.

Putting aside the enormous built-in user base that iTunes represents, giving Ping an immediate springboard in its launch, and not delving too much into the nuances of music appreciation, (i.e., the extent to which music sharing and related dialogue is more or less conducive to social interaction than other subjects), we should probably be mindful of one issue foremost when it comes to Apple and social networking: Privacy. Unlike Facebook (or Google), Apple’s is a closed system that does not make its money from advertising. Despite (or, rather, because of) the reputation for complete control that Steve Jobs has spent years fostering, it is probable that the average social networker would trust Apple much more than Facebook (or Google) with personal information. Because Apple sells hardware and does quite well at it, it is probable that the collection and analysis of big data, and the scrubbing of personal messages for targeted advertising opportunities, do not feature prominently in Apple’s near-term plans.

For now, Ping is being promoted as a music oriented social network. For now, that makes sense, resident as it is on the iTunes platform. If Ping’s popularity takes off, however, it can’t be long before the movie and eBook sections of iTunes come into play, or before the iPhoto system of the Apple product is rolled in. Features like messaging will not be difficult to add with time, especially as these already exist in the Mac ecosystem. And soon enough, voilà: everything Facebook has, plus privacy and complete control. Then, Wired Magazine’s vision becomes more real, as the ultimate online experience – social networking – is taken offline with an app. At least one online competitor should have reason to worry, and possibly some others.