[LINK] RFC: Web 2.0

[Rick Welykochy]

Linda Rouse wrote:

> My understanding is that Web 2 is all about software, such as AJAX, that 
> will enable applications to be presented natively on the net rather than 
> being constrained to an HTML interface.

Correct. I would quibble about "being constrained to the HTML interface"
since HTML and Javascript are all that is used to implement Ajax. There is
no new language or standard here, just a communications protocol for the
client to exchange data with the server.

There isn't really anything magic or specifically amazing about Ajax. The
capability to do Ajax-like things has been available using Web 1.0 technology
since the late 1990's. All that has heppened, imho, is that its time has
now come.

The illusion of of a native applcation using Web 2.0 is just that: an illusion.
Whenever you click on an Ajax component on the page, a round trip communication
still occurs to/from the web server. But you the user do not see this since
the web page is not redisplayed as it would be in a Web 1.0 application.

All that is happening in a Web 2.0 application is that small parts of the
web page are updated with (invisible) round trips to the server. Usually there
will be *more* traffic to the server in a Web 2.0 app, since you can attach
Ajax components and callbacks to anything on the display. Ironically a
Web 2.0 app is less stand-alone than a Web 1.0 app since it is talking to
and far more dependent upon client-server Web application services than its
predecessor ever was.

With the advent of automated tools to accomplish this functionality, bloatware
will be inevitable as clueless programmers drag 'n' drop their way to a dumbed
down Web 2.0 applications without any idea of the true cost of what they are doing.
It is a similar effect to that which we have all witnessed with Dreamweaver
and similar ilk -- applications writing software that results in heavily
bloated HTML pages chock full of useless and burdensome Javascript. And often,
the JS is not required since what is being accomplished with it can be done
with Plain Old HTML.

As for the appellation Web 2.0? Poppycock if you ask me. The web and related
technologies are continually evolving and changing. There is no one definable
event or point in time that marks Web 1.0 transitting to Web 2.0. It is market-
driven hype that gives CIOs wet dreams in anticipation of the next board
meeting. Most geeks just sigh as say "So what?"

cheers
rickw


-- 
_________________________________
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services

I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State.  My idea is
that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them
together is certain death.
      -- George Carlin