Jakob Nielsen thinks that Ajax sucks

✎ Published: 2005-12-07 10:30:30

Jakob Nielsen critiques Ajax, highlighting issues like non-functional back buttons, bookmarks, and search engine indexing. While his points are valid regarding Web 1.0, they become less relevant with the rise of Web 2.0 applications, which function more like desktop apps. Modern web applications can enhance user interaction without needing traditional web navigation features.

Jakob Nielsen thinks that Ajax sucks

Jakob Nielsen should be a well known Person. usability Guru of all trades and well known among those who have more than the casual interest in WebDesign.

Jakob Nielsen wrote about Ajax now. Everybody loves Ajax, and most of the modern web is all excited about the possiblities which Ajax is going to offer. Jakob Nielsen doesn't like Ajax. Not at all.
And he has some valid points. For example:

  • The Back Button in the Browser doesn't work
  • The Bookmarks functionality doesn't work
  • Search engines have problems with Ajax
    • Good points right? Right. But not always. Jakob forgot the web applications (commonly refered to as 'weblication'). Web applications are desktop applications brought to the web. This is an old dream, started by Netscape in 1995, soon followed by Java in 1996, and, mostly, still a dream today.
    With the upcoming Web 2.0, more and more web applications emerge though. Backpack, Flickr or Gmail are examples of web applications most people know about. And since web applications are an online version of desktop applications, his valid point's aren't that valid anymore. My Photoshop doesn't have a "Back Button", my Thunderbird doesn't have a "Bookmark" Button, and I don't want any search engine to index my Adressbook application - ever.

    So, are Jakob's points valid? Yes they are; but only if referring to the Web 1.0, the old web, the informational web. But not if we're refering to the up and coming Web 2.0, which strives to replace many of the things you do or install on a desktop computer today.
    Sure, a Web 2.0 movie database still needs bookmarks, back-buttons and a search-engine, but in addition to that it could offer additional community, personal or meta features, which don't need any of these things but could benefit from enhanced user interaction - through Ajax.

    Ajax Sucks Most of the Time