I'm blaming MySpace. When MySpace exploded, everyone and their dog created their own web page. If you've ever been to a MySpace page, it's damn ugly, and there are widgets everywhere. There are slideshows, Flash games, maps, video, audio and more bling than you can shake a stick at. The kids love their widgets and jam their page with them.
Would you like Google gadgets for your webpage? Google's got 1220 of them, from the current moon phase to PacMan. Wait a minute, I used to love PacMan. Can I really add this delightful game to my site by simply pasting in a little JavaScript?
Aren't Widgets fun!
