It's All Geek To Me - February 28th 2007

Rich Internet Applications (RIA's) - Part 2
By Michael McGrath

In last month's column, I discussed Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), and offered a simple definition . . . if you don't remember, take a quick trip back in time. I've been thinking since I wrote that article about the so many TLAs and FLAs tossed around today in the industry (three- and four-letter acronyms, like RIA), and decided I'd use this month's column to discuss a few more of them. By the end of today's missive, I'll tie them all in together and bring it back to KISS's RIA notions, so please stay with me.

Web 2.0. Too many people have too many notions of what this term means, and I'm not going to jump into that fray. Let me simply say that it generally refers to a perceived second generation of Web-based services that emphasizes collaboration and sharing among users. It's become an all-embracing term that everyone has their own “perception” of, but that definition will suit our purposes for today's discussion.

SOA. “service-oriented architecture.” This is an architectural style, rather than a product unto itself, a way of building on line application tools that permits the linking of data and computational resources. In other words, it facilitates the merging of data and functionality to work with it, often pulling data from multiple sources behind the screen scenes.

AJAX. “asynchronous javascript and XML.” It's a web development technique for creating interactive web applications. The intent of AJAX is to make web pages feel more responsive by exchanging small amounts of data with a server behind the scenes so that web pages do not need to be reloaded each time a user requests a change. It improves a web page's interactivity, speed and usability.

Mashup. Yes, I know, this is not a TLA or an FLA. It is, though, another instance of common parlance in the industry. So, what is a mashup? It's a web site or application that combines content from more than one source into a single, integrated experience. Content used in mashups is typically sourced form a third party via a public interface. More on that in a moment. The term was probably borrowed from its similar use in pop music. Yup, even 57 year old guys can know a little bit about pop music.

Web 2.0, AJAX, SOA, Mashup . . . all aspects of the same dynamic, the same concept, that information and presentation are being separated into ways that allow for novel forms of re-use. Now, there's a key term right there: re-use. These ideas, these notions, these techniques, are not for a single, limited purpose. They expand the way we can use the Internet for web-based functionality, web-based features, assembling disparate data from disparate sources, and presenting it in a useful and almost purely user-driven way for ever-changing uses limited only by imagination and business idea.

If you are sensing why many of us are in this industry after those last few words, well, you're catching on. I'll bring it back now to KISS RIAs. A specific example will illustrate, and let's use our Rental Solutions Software as presented in www.rentalsolutions-ireland.com, one of the sites mentioned in last month's column. The first feature you see when you land on the home page of that site is the Google Map. On that map, markers identify properties listed on the site for rent in Ireland. You can use the map to zoom in to the property, and if that area of Ireland has been fully geo-coded by Google, you'll be able to see the cottage and the street it's on.

Content is being sourced from Google via the public interface of the map and its geo-coding functionality. Data is being pulled from the data base of property listings within the Rental Solutions Ireland web site system, and the locales of each property are marked by those little balloons. Click on one, and a larger balloon will open to present some of the property data like description of the cottage, rent, and more. The entire page did not have to reload for that to happen - - just the balloon expansion.

See how that all ties in and works together in a user friendly way? A simple map, backed up by some really cool geo-coding functionality, dynamic markers that open up larger balloons with data pulled form a totally separate source, all working together to make the experience easy, improving the web page's interactivity, speed and usability.

That's the current state of the industry, if you will . . . Web 2.0, AJAX, SOA, Mashup, RIA. The challenge we face in our craft is to open up our imagination, to figure out how we can next use all of this stuff, all these tools. It's pretty exciting, and when it comes together in a site like Rental Solutions Ireland, it's also fun.

I've just one more TLA for you to close out this month's column. BFN.

KISS is pleased to announce a new client joining our family - - Gerard Carroll has selected KISS for the development of his new web site for the renting of state of the art, brand name golf clubs in the south and west of Ireland. His service will enable those traveling to Ireland for golf vacations to leave their own sets at home, and use that new set of Pings or Callaways they've seen advertised in all of the golf journals. KISS's client, Micheal O Donnabhain, is in the same business in the Dublin area - - his web site is www.clubs4hire.com, a fall 2006 KISS production and launch, and Gerard and Micheal are collaborating in these business efforts. Gerard's site will be www.golfclubhireireland.com, and we expect to have it ready for him in late April. We welcome Gerard and look forward to working with him in this new venture.

KISS's owner and CEO, Michael L. Mc Grath, has been selected as a guest speaker at a Business Symposium being held by The University of Massachusetts. The topic of his presentation will be Web Copy Writing and SEO Considerations. Michael will be making available copies of his assembled columns on the subject as published on www.webwordmanmusings.com as a part of his presentation. The Symposium is an all day event scheduled for Friday, April 27, at the Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth campus.