These are functional desktop-like applications written in O-O js framework with native support for internationalization using xml dictionaries for locale and gui widgets definition (sort of like XUL). Currently working with both IE and Gecko browsers (Safari might be supported soon). The framework API covers most of the tedious tasks regarding writing such applications, you basically need to focus on creating event listeners only – _very_ similar to writing desktop applications, hence development is very easy.

I can’t beleive I wrote that last part.

Anyway, back on subject. The whole 13% Javascript Disabled thing is really getting on my nerves, because now I have to make the web page(or is it Web App.?) in simple HTML/PHP(Or Ruby or CGI or whatever server-side language you use) as well as the Javascript fetcher page. I was thinking about having my entire website fit into one page untill I thought of that. Who would of thought of that one or two years ago? My entire website in one page; “entire website” as in Journal, links, picture galleries, about pages, experements, and contact page. Okay; one page + CSS + Javascript.

I think I am just giving a practical angle of what Janice wrote.

Personnally, switching from table to div, was a much more bigger step for mankind, or at least for my users. :)

On another note. Concerning Absolute Path’s Webby Nomination for Reliefweb, I will simply say that it’s disapointment. As a United Nations staff working on Internet projects in Africa, and a user of Reliefweb, the website rehaul that took two years and two companies is an improvement but not a worthy nomination. I think it only got nominated because of Adaptive Path’s hype!

It’s marketing, just like the Janice’s article.

I love how Adaptive Path has sorta hijacked “AJAX” and writes these articles promoting it as if they were the ones that invented it. Great marketing ploy.

As a business consultant it started to put my thoughts down on paper. Most of my clients don’t notice the impact, capabilities, and possibilities of these innovations. Not only is the technology new(er) but a new generation of users with 8+ years of the internet are entering the market.

The article is a step in the right direction. Now it’s up to us to adapt that message to your business. How will AJAX improve what you offer? Can a social network work for (instead of against) your company? So on and so forth…

Very interesting topic and one that I’ll be reading through for quite a while.

The attitude with which people share information has also shifted. Gone are the days of browsers warring over custom display tags / functions. Now browsers compete to be the most standards-compliant (with the exception of IE).

I think that open-source is what it helping to change the face of the internet for the better. Between Apple making the switch to UNIX and Firefox eating away at IE’s dominance of PC users, much has already happened. Add to that the fact that the majority of web-servers run on some form of LAMP, and it’s easy to see that tight-fisted companies are being passed over in favor of those that are more open-minded.

I agree with what has been said in the previous comments, that one cannot single out a particular point at which the web jumped forward, but that it has been gradually evolving. Here’s to hoping that by being open-minded and sharing ideas, we can help accelerate this change.

As if (starting way back in 1994 when displaying images on a web page was fairly new), that animated GIFs, Javascript, Shockwave, Quicktime, Flash, ASP, PHP, PDAs, WAPs, DOM, CSS, XHTML, and RSS weren’t significant changes at the time.

The web is constantly evolving, so saying that everything changes from this point forward is redundant. It’s changed since that statement was uttered. That’s the beauty of this medium.

I welcome the challenge of adopting this new methodology where applicable… and look forward to the next one.

1) AJAX still makes requests to the server (WHICH ARE WHAT IS MEASURED) so your question has been answered. No changes are needed to properly measure traffic.

2) For the guy comparing PHP to Javascript, and going on about stuff happening on the server…umm, you don’t get it. No offense, but AJAX isn’t hard to understand, and has been around for a while–but let’s refresh (no pun intended.)

Instead of having to REFRESH the browser for every server request, AJAX, uses JavaScript to make the server call, handle the response, and then REWRITE a PORTION of the page, without refreshing the browser. This is driving a lot of the EXCITING features of google maps, gmail, basecamp, etc. ad nauseum. This is what made Flash RIAs all the rage for their fifteen minutes of fame until sane people realized that Flash sucks.

There are indeed interesting things happening on the server side too, but when you compare PHP to “pesky” Javascript, you deserve to get flamed as the former is a server side language and the latter is a client side language thus comparing them is like comparing Postscript to CSS.

The MOST exciting thing about 2.0 is that those of us that had to deal with the influx of dimwits during 1.0 now get to go through all of it again. Cool, I can’t wait until Adobe Dreamweaver comes out with built in AJAX support and clients want web applications for $499.

Maybe 3.0 can filter out the NOISE.

These new delivery methods will undoubtedly improve their customers service, providing a better customer experience, however changing the way in which success is measured will be quite a struggle.

Has there been any discussion of how to do incorporate these splendid techniques into current measurement methods? or is the commercial sector going to have to catch up with what seems to be the obvious way to go?

I followed many of the AJAX-related links and did some reading. Not that I’ve properly grasped it yet, but with the increasing penetration of broadband and the myriad of efficiency improvements that can be done with PHP (easier to write than pesky JavaScript) – not to mention accessibility considerations, separation of style from content, etc – I’m not sure I see the justification for “the firestorm of excitement…”

If things are happening (and I agree – there is a ‘feelgood factor’ around), it’s more likely a result of what is being done at server level rather than client.

A number actually ended up at Yahoo with the acquistion of Oddpost.