neil.mcevoy@... wrote:

Ajax is principally about (finally) the growing adoption of distributed
computing.
What do folks think about the potential relationship between Jini and
Ajax, if there is one? Is it creating a context for a more meaningful
debate about the value of Jini?

I just don't understand why so many people in the enterprise software development community are enthusiastic about AJAX.  The programming paradigm is:

1. Built on sand - too much heavyweight code is developed using a programming language (Javascript) that was never designed to take the strain.
2. Badly architected - not only is AJAX a kludge on top of HTTP right from the start, but it tends to lead to poor design, breaking the Model 2 MVC practices that were finally becoming mainstream.  This is changing as better practices start to appear for AJAX, but there is no layering implicit in AJAX itself so there will always be the temptation to write poor code.
   
3. Server- and browser-dependent - you cannot run an AJAX application without connecting to the server in question using an appropriately capable browser.  What about apps that need to run offline and with more choice of device?
   

The technology underpinning AJAX has been around since the late 90s, so one possibility is that the current buzz around it is in fact the last gasp of the Web as an application interface!  Or it could just be a new toy for many people.  IMHO, the Web browser just doesn't cut the mustard as a platform for enterprise applications.  One can only hope for the widespread adoption of more appropriate development platforms for distributed Internet applications in due course; low-level ones like Jini and high-level ones like humanedj, for example.

-- All the best
Keith
http://keith.harrison-broninski.info