Ajax/ AJAX – An Introduction

Ajax/ AJAX is the acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is a Web 2.0 technique employed in developing interactive web applications. Web pages that have been developed using Ajax exchange data with the server behind the scene. Consequently, every time a user makes changes, they are incorporated without reloading of the whole web page.

Asynchronous: XML data loading and normal HTML and JavaScript web page loading are asynchronous. In other words, they do not interfere with each other.

JavaScript: JavaScript is a programming language. Ajax function calls are created using JavaScript.

XML: Data exchange in Ajax takes place in XML format.

Advantages of Ajax

1. A web page developed on Ajax has higher:

o Speed

o Interactivity

o Functionality

2. The HTML of a web page can be accessed/ produced in the browser itself. Thus, Ajax effectively decreases the bandwidth consumption.

3. With a jumble of techniques and languages, Ajax gives programmers the freedom to adopt and adapt features as per their requirement.

4. Ajax enables a programmer to have a neat separation among different elements of a web page.

o Data/ content to be uploaded: XML format

o Structure/ Format of a web page: HTML/ XHTML made available in the DOM

o Style (images, fonts, etc.): CSS

o Functionality: JavaScript/ HTTP/ XMLHttp

A few things to be kept in mind while using Ajax

1. The request-response interval should be minimal, with clear feedback to the user.
2. Back button and bookmarking are issues that have to be taken into account for dynamic web pages to be developed on Ajax.
3. Data that has to be indexed needs to be provided in a search engine friendly format. This is because search engines often skip JavaScript coded content that in turn is a main element of Ajax-based web sites.

Also read on MS blog:

Web 2.0 - The Latest Buzz in Internet Technology

Web 2.0 - An Effective Business Tool

Web 2.0 - The Modern Success Mantra

What are Google Bombs?

When a group of people use a specific anchor text to link to a particular web page in order to shoot up its Google ranking, the phenomenon is known as ‘Google Bomb’ or ‘Googlebomb’.

The first known Google Bomb in the history of the web world was the one used to raise the Microsoft homepage through the keywords “more evil than Satan himself”!

Why is this done?

Googlebombing is done:

• as an underhand Search Engine Optimization technique done for fun.

• in order to promote some ulterior motives against a person or an organization.

• as a political manoeuvre.

The logic utilized behind Googlebombing:

Google search engine algorithm gives a higher rank to a page which has consistent anchor text in its backlinks.

Googlebomb Watch:

Googlebomb Watch is Google’s answer to Google bombs. It keeps an eye on old and new Googlebombs.

Google checks the anchor text of all the incoming links to a web site. In case the text is not on the web site, then that particular link is downgraded or ignored.