Web 3.0
Author: Jeffrey Zeldman, Source: A List Apart — “Wireframing AJAX is a bitch.”
Sorry, but I have to talk about this. Wireframing anything with any interesting and robust functionality is a bitch. Who said that Web 2.0 or Ajax or Flash was going to make life easier for developers? You don’t get power without pain behind the scenes. Sure, the interface might get better and users might benefit greatly, but it is all-but-certain that more heavy lifting is going to be needed to get the job done behind the scenes. Get over it or get out of the way.
Whether you call it “Web 2.0″ or “Ajax” or “Rich Internet Applications” or something else, the web is growing and evolving. That means that designers and developers are going to have to grow up. Of course I want to drive more standardization and utilize more standards. Of course I want life to be better for designers and developers. But, the truth is that you don’t get something for free.
Ajax is a bitch. Web 2.0 is a bitch. Flash is a bitch. You can’t just fall off a log and create something that is jacked up, no matter what people might tell you. These things are less painful the more experience you have. They are less painful the more support you are given. But, you simply must expect some pain. Maintenance. Costs. Training. Testing. P-A-I-N.
The hope is that Web2-Ajax-Flash-Flex-Ruby-37something-Wow-Cool is easy to use by end users. If it ain’t, don’t bother. Don’t use a thermonuclear tool when a pushpin will do the job. Keep it as simple as possible.
On the exact topic of wireframes, it isn’t like wireframers have always had an easy time. Go back to the 1980’s with desktop and mainframe applications. Was it especially easy then? Software applications on standalone PCs are just as much a “bitch to wireframe” as jacked up Ajax and Flash applications. To me this is one giant yawn. Or worse, a simple complaint.
Now, the thing to realize in all of this is that I deeply care about simplicity, quality, and usability. I’m not asking for pain. I’m just being realistic. Folks have tools and they want to use them. Customers expect some jazzy jazz and we’ll drive to their requirements. We’ll do heavy lifting and do what we can about usability and satisfaction in the wild as much as possible.
Now, that was a bit of rant. I went a bit extreme to make a point. Maybe it’ll be heard. Then again, maybe not. We’ll see won’t we.
January 17th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
By the way, I completely agree with this issue: “The second problem affects all who use an AJAX-powered site. If web signifiers and conventions are still in their infancy, then AJAX-related signifiers and conventions are in utero.”
Because we don’t have standards should we pack up and go home? The web didn’t have standards (not really) when it was born. Aren’t we at the same place now with Ajax (for example)?
January 19th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
[…] At the risk of a long-winded rant, let me stop here and point you to Web 3.0 from that usability guy, John Rhodes. Read it. […]
December 8th, 2006 at 3:29 am
It soon became clear that the kindly schmoe was reserving the seat, not for a friend or colleague, but for a stranger who had imposed that duty on him.
December 8th, 2006 at 7:41 am
It soon became clear that the kindly schmoe was reserving the seat, not for a friend, but for a stranger who had imposed that duty on him.
February 9th, 2007 at 5:30 am
I dont know but why i don find such informative and profitable blogs so often,I suspect blogging world is becoming so small that we cant find such lucrative blogs like this one.
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:04 am
I suspect that’s thereason general public want to read blog….Internet visitors generally create blogs to declare themselves or their secret views. Blog grant them same matter on the monitor screen what they specifically needed,so as the above stuffs declared it.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:31 am
I am glad to post my views and points in this blog, but I must say that webmaster of this blog has done a very great job to make his blog more informative and more discussable but unfortunately everthing is same here that more than 80% in this and other blogs post their comments for making spam!!!, so i will really all this spam links to google band tool, because webmaster makes blogs for making discuss and for sloving each other problems. thanks http://www.gordoniihoodia.net
July 22nd, 2007 at 4:01 pm
My main concern is that you can’t guarantee every page of your website will be included in the SERPs. Considering I’m constantly adding new products to my company’s website, I need to be sure that customers can find them as soon as possible.http://www.seoptimizerz.com
December 22nd, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I am Very thank full the owner of this blog. Becouse of this blog is very imformative for me.. And I ask u some thiing You make more this type blog where we can get more knowledge.
http://www.cesurturk.org/index.php?ind=kureselisinma
December 28th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I am Very thank full the owner of this blog. Becouse of this blog is very imformative for me.. And I ask u some thiing You make more this type blog where we can get more knowledge.
thanks you very high work..
http://www.saboces.gen.tr
January 15th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Wow nice layout. can i suggest you one more thing for yoru blog.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Wow nice layout. can i suggest you one more thing for yoru blog.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 am
thanks very nice
February 28th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
very good
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:55 am
Your choice for best and effective Penis Enlargement pills