Ajax and Firefox: New Web Applications and Browsers (Emerging TECHNOLOGIES‪)‬

Five years ago (May, 2000), this column dealt with "Web Browser Trends and Technologies." Ten years ago marks the arrival of several major Web players including Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon. It was also in 1995 that the red-hot Netscape IPO ignited the start of the tech bubble in the U.S. Stock Exchange that burst in 2000. Given the anniversaries, it seems like a good time to revisit the topic of Web technologies, especially since some significant changes are underway. Alternative browsers are gaining significant market share, and both Apple and Microsoft are releasing OS upgrades which portend some interesting changes in Web development. Of particular interest for language learning professionals may be new developments in the area of Web browser based applications, particularly using an approach dubbed "Ajax." New Browser Wars?