Ajax the Web

In his essay, Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications, Jesse James Garrett articulates a new use of several existing technologies – XHTML, CSS, DOM, XML, and Javascript, which, when used together as an “Ajax engine” could change the nature of web applications.  By moving to asynchronous patterns of delivery, the whole paradigm of a page refreshing and content loading only when the user requests it can shift to something much more akin to a fast desktop application.  The challenge for designers and engineers alike will be to apply this thinking to delivering better control, content, or experiences to the visitor.