Javascript Vs. AJAX/Flash........ etc

[TrojanSquirrel]

Hi all,

*Might be a better forum for this.... Please let me know.

I know this is a little left field, but I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who works for Verizon regarding functionality within web pages.

I am a fixer of PCs and as such have very little knowledge of how web pages are put together, but as an experienced end user I get to know how much a website is useful to me.

I know that a lot of webmail providers (gmail for example) are using AJAX to work server side and with the client to update the page without the browser having to be refreshed.

Tonight we were both looking at train times in the UK and one website we looked at would suggest what train station you meant as you were typing and the other did not. As we live in Henley on Thames (UK) the place name can get confused with Henley in Arden.

I suggested that this was down to a neat little Javascript that was on the website (and after looking at the source code I think it is!), but my Verizon buddy (who for some reason dislikes Javascript (perhaps because his employees can take it open source rather than code it themselves)) seems to disagree..... He also dismisses the usefulness of AJAX.

My argument was (and still is!) that this little script makes it far easier as an end consumer, and therefore influences my choice of provider for the same information. I would choose the website that had the Javascript above the one that didn't even though the user interface is almost identical.

One less click is one step away from RSI!

I would be very interested to hear everyones opinion on the most useful scripts and the sites that they are used on.... And also those that think I am wrong!

The two sites that we were looking at are as follows:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/

and

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

I would also like to say that I don't work for either of these companies or the people that designed their websites... I have no interest at all. The only interest I have is that everyone that I know uses the former as it is the rail company that runs to our town, and I use the latter as it is a better site even just for our locale.

What say you lot?

Regards,

Rob

http://www.transcom.net

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Funny you chose the latter site to demo. I use that site frequently, and they've only recently implemented that AJAX behaviour.

I noticed it immediately, and commented on it. I think it really helped to improve the process of picking a station (especially as I was always annoyed at having to type "London Charing Cross" instead of simply "Charing Cross").

To your friend who dislikes this, I would ask why. You don't go into this, so I cannot comment on his reason... but he must have a reason - so try and weed it out of him.

Yes, you can over-use JS, with tacky effects. Yes, you can bugger sites up completely with it, making them unusable. Yes, you can make sites so inaccessible it's unfunny. But it has a place, and it can really enhance the usefulness of a site, and make for a nicer, richer user experience.

Dan





Coedit Limited - Delivering standards compliant, accessible web solutions

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[TrojanSquirrel]

Hi Dan,

The reasoning behind his dislike of the use of AJAX and the like I think is simply down to the fact that as the head of a department he has to make sure everything is compliant with the majority of end users and within the company.

Therefore innovation is his enemy

He also seems to hate most browser plugins that require updating on a regular basis (when I say regular, poss every year or two!) such as Flash.

I think that most people overlook the updates that go on via Microsoft auto apdate, and only concentrate on the third party plugins that require user interaction to update. I clearly remember him saying "I just want it to work", and while I do sympathise with this, it isn't much of a headache just to hit "install now" and wait a minute or two.

Also, oddly enough, he has embraced FireFox with open arms!

With regard to the two sites above; I am always seeing people using the first great western site over the national rail one, and I can't understand their reasoning for using it. I work in an internet cafe, and without fail customers (and my techie friends included) use the inferior site. Although in reality there is very little to separate the two in terms of looks and functionality it does make you wonder why people invest in upgrading their sites with these useful bits of code when the average user pays little or no attention!!

Regards,

Rob

http://www.transcom.net