Google’s maps project is a pretty amazing demonstration of just want can be achieved with old school DHTML (Dynamic HTML).
With the big names in software trying to convince everyone of the need for languages like XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language), Google just worked with what they have available now, namely DHTML, and the result can be uniformly seen as a success. This brings up a new question, should we really be creating new frameworks for web enabled applications, or should we be fixing the tools we have now to be uniformly compatible and standards compliant? Internet Explorer 6 still doesn’t correctly support CSS standards that came out years ago, and apparently IE7 isn’t going to fix that. And these are the people trying to convince us all that their technology should be the one adopted to promote interoperability? They have not been able to be standards compliant on simple HTML, JavaScript and CSS, so I think we can safely judge at this point that they should definitely not lead the charge with XAML. IE7 most likely wouldn’t be coming now if not for Microsoft’s worry that Firefox will have eaten most of their market share before Longhorn arrives due to security concerns with IE. Microsoft is probably also worried that if they are not the monopoly online in the coming years, then they can’t make sure that the Windows Operating System is an integral part of it. If web applications (which many are proclaiming are the future) will run the same on Linux, Mac, Unix and Windows, why would anyone buy Windows anymore?
So there you have it folks, we could be having a much more interactive online experience right now if all the browsers equally supported the W3C standards, the fact that some don’t (I’m talking to you IE), is why developers have to spend so much time making sure their pages look OK in each browser. The result is that most developers go for the easy answer, sticking to those things they know work ok in all browsers (like nested table layouts) instead of using the far superior div/CSS route (for example). If you know anyone that works for Microsoft in IE development, slap them for me. Cnet has covered this in much more detail. My take on this, is that if any platform should be used to future interoperable web apps, it should be based on the Mozilla XUL framework which is owned by a not for profit group, rather then alternatives that are owned by huge multinational corporations who are after all answering more to their shareholders then to the public at large.

After recent speculation regarding a potential deal between Mozilla and Ask Jeeves, AJ has taken things to the next level by releasing a version of their browser toolbar for the Firefox web browser. It does all the usual things one expects from a browser toolbar and some interesting additions. Check it out if you’re in the market for another toolbar for your browser. My personal feeling here, is that the search engines have realised that Firefox provides them with something they haven’t had for some time. A popular browser that doesn’t send everyone to MSN by default and a browser for which MSN won’t release a toolbar (or anything else). The Microsoft monopoly doesn’t extend to alternative browsers. If IE is the only browser, then the non MSN search engines have to work twice as hard to get market penetration. Don’t believe me? Wait until Longhorn is released and see how much Microsoft search technology is built into it. Firefox is possibly the last real chance the search engines have of getting a fair playing field in the browser landscape and they all apparently know it, or at least Google, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves do, as they’ve all released Firefox toolbars in the past couple of months. Yahoo went so far as to pledge that all Yahoo services will be made compatible with Firefox. As far as I can tell, all of Google’s services already are.

INSERT (23/03/2005): Ask Jeeves has just been purchased by InterActiveCorp for 1.85 billion dollars.

Sometimes you come across a page that explains something you really want to explain to people, in a much better manner then you ever could yourself. Today I found such a page. HowStuffWorks has written an introduction to Firefox that explains in simple terms what alternative browsers are, why we need them, what makes Firefox different, cool features it has, why it’s secure and much more. All done in simple language that even newbie’s can understand. Apart from the annoying pop-up that HowStuffWorks makes use of (which you won’t see if your using Firefox to view the page) the story is a must read if you don’t understand what people are going on about when they talk about alternative browsers.

Webstandards.org will be issuing an Acid2 test to try and get IE7 in line with W3C standards in it’s support for modern web standards. IE6 doesn’t support much CSS2 and what it does support is often buggy. The reason all this is necessary is because web design and implementation cannot evolve unless all the players create interoperable browsers. As it stands now, IE is the one holding up the evolution of the web as it’s standards support has not changed in roughly 4 years or more. Cnet has the story.

Microsoft has been scant on details about the long overdue update to their web browser Internet Explorer 7. However rumours are that they are adding a heap of stuff that Firefox already has, including tabbed browsing, RSS reader, transparent PNG’s, IDN support and better security by default. However apparently they do not plan to fully adopt CSS2 which is something that has been on the developer wish list for a very long time now. So, what we end up with, is Microsoft making a Firefox look-alike that doesn’t support the new standards as well and is still built closely into Windows, and this is supposed to turn people off swapping to Firefox? Also, IE7 is only available for XP SP2 XP64 and Server 2003 SP1, so if you use 98/ME/2000 and you want an up to date browser, you’ll have to use Firefox because MS has abandoned you. Read the Microsoft-Watch report for more.

Recently we wrote about Yahoo’s new ad system, apparently designed to compete for Google’s adsense market. Up until now, MSN relied on Yahoo’s Overture to deliver keyword ads, but this appears to be slowly being displaced by a keyword ad system owned by Microsoft themselves. The search market is worth big bucks and the competition is heating up. It will be interesting to see how this MSN service evolves, and whether it ends up with a service like Google’s adsense or Yahoo’s Overture. MSN’s deal with Overture is due to end in 2006 and I suspect it won’t be renegotiated. Read more at CNET.

Itunes.co.uk now belongs to Apple, even though it was registered to Benjamin Cohen years before Apple decided to open their own music stores by the same name. This is worrying because it is a precedent whereby a big company can open a business subsidiary with a new name, and get the domain name handed to them in court for far less then they would probably have to pay for it normally. The decision is not set in stone yet and an appeal is likely, but should that go though, it means that the UK has started putting corporations ahead of private ownership. Read the full story of this disturbing situation at TheRegister. I know that if a big corporation tried to take our domain from us, they’d have to do it over my cold dead body and I wish Mr Cohen the best of luck with his litigation.