Use of AJAX
2009-01-16 05:05:20
Scouring powder should not be used on enamel surfaces. Oops, wrong AJAX.
AJAX has the possibility to make user interfaces better. Few people would argue that the GMail interface isn't bad compared to some of the previous generations of webmail clients but I think that you should only use it where there is a need.
There is far too much 'AJAX Wanking' going on; using AJAX just because of the hype and coolness factor without any concept of the UI problems they are adding to the web application.
Breaking the back button in an app like gmail isn't bad. You don't expect to be able to bookmark a particular message and it working next time. It puts the user into an application mindset and bookmarking in applications is a rarity.
However in a normal website, using AJAX to change the content of a page, in what would prior to AJAX have been bookmarkable, is a bad idea if the it means that it breaks normal browser navigation and bookmarks.
I also believe that normal websites should work without JavaScript being required for basic use. Not just from a security and usability aspect, which are important, but from an SEO perspective. If a user needs JavaScript to see your content, so will a search engine. If a search engine can't see if it will affect your pageranking negatively.