Legacy web applications are synchronous in nature. The user interacts with the web interface
presented in the browser, the browser makes requests back to the server based on that user
interaction, and the server responds to those requests with new presentation for the user -
fundamentally a synchronous process. This means that the presentation delivered to the user
represents a snapshot in time of what is a dynamic system. That snapshot becomes stale in between
user interactions and does not necessarily provide an accurate view onto the current state of the
system. Even when you bring Ajax techniques into the equation this synchronous process is
unchanged. While the use of XmlHttpRequest and Ajax techniques facilitates a more fine-grained
interaction model than a full page refresh, the requests are still generated based on user
interaction, so the process remains synchronous, and the potential for a stale view onto the system
persists.
The Asynchronous Web is fundamentally different, and that difference revolutionizes how web applications behave. In the Asynchronous Web it is possible to deliver spontaneous presentation changes to the user as the state of a dynamic system changes, without the need for the user to interact with the interface. The advantages are obvious as we can now maintain an accurate view onto the system for the user. Examples are numerous, and include any system providing a view onto a dynamic system, such as a stock portfolio, an inventory, or a day timer/calendar. When you have multiple users interacting with the same system, the interactions of one user can spontaneously impact what other users see, thus creating a truly collaborative system - the essence of what Web 2.0 promises. Again, examples are numerous, including a simple chat client, and an eBay bidding system. Ultimately, most systems that humans interact with are collaborative in nature, so the web interface onto those systems should be too.
The Asynchronous Web is fundamentally different, and that difference revolutionizes how web applications behave. In the Asynchronous Web it is possible to deliver spontaneous presentation changes to the user as the state of a dynamic system changes, without the need for the user to interact with the interface. The advantages are obvious as we can now maintain an accurate view onto the system for the user. Examples are numerous, and include any system providing a view onto a dynamic system, such as a stock portfolio, an inventory, or a day timer/calendar. When you have multiple users interacting with the same system, the interactions of one user can spontaneously impact what other users see, thus creating a truly collaborative system - the essence of what Web 2.0 promises. Again, examples are numerous, including a simple chat client, and an eBay bidding system. Ultimately, most systems that humans interact with are collaborative in nature, so the web interface onto those systems should be too.
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