Notes on the Rich Web Experience Conference
Overview
- Web applications are very close to the ideal of "write once, run anywhere". But
their user interface, the web browser, is very limited in terms of functions
that application (word processors, spreadsheets) users expect. Browsers have been
evolving and converging on a set of standards that will enable web applications to present
interfaces as functionally rich as native applications. One major development is the
ability of the browser to communicate with the server behind the scenes, that is,
without changing the page being displayed. One theme of the conference was that the
various Javascript toolkits serve the purpose of addressing deficiencies in the
browsers and hiding browser differences.
- The hope is, as we reach more and different types of data through the penetration
of the web into more and more aspects of our society, that new applications will
arise that increase our understanding by enabling new ways of viewing, comparing,
contributing to, manipulating that data. Another theme at the conference was exactly
that enabling and the obstacles to it. Security problems in the browser were especially discussed.
There are applications that are experimenting with mixing personal and public data,
for example, mapping your friends onto Google maps, making a spatially-oriented blog site, where
blog entries are tied to the geographical points of interest from your vacation, etc. See below
for the Simile web site.
Graceful degradation
Sites and technologies
New ways to visualize data
Enabling design
Javascript toolkits
Web applications off line