They won't charge. They don't need to. You use it, they get to show you ads (their main revenue stream) AND use your data later with advanced data mining techniques so they can sell aggregate data on users. The more users the better.
I used to agree with this, until I spent some more time looking into it. Certainly XMLHttpRequest is the most powerful aspect of Ajax and it is easy to use. But Ajax generally comprises much more than that. The Dynamic HTML part can get quite confusing, especially across browsers. Look at the examples of what some of these projects can do.
They are certainly big and sometimes bloated. I'm still struggling with that part as well, but I don't have the time to figure out all the details when a toolkit can handle that for me. It's no different than using a high level language and libraries, or should I write all my code in Assembly?
I just went through and evaluated most of these myself in the past week because of a new work project. Dojo is by far the best when looking at building a real web "application". The others have limitations (such as Google's toolkit which requires you to write your code in Java) or are focused too much on "flashy" stuff.
Dojo provides dialog boxes, windows, an editor, and more. It still has bugs and is an early version, so you need to consider your audience and time frame. For example, I had a problem with FF 1.0.7 (even though they say it is supported) but I only need to support FF 1.5 and Safari 2. I'm building a complex web app for an internal audience and I can guarantee they'll have one of these 2 browsers. Still, it seems to have broader support than some of the others toolkits.
While I'm jsut starting with it, I've been happy so far. There's little documentation but the examples are good enough to get you started.
Stories can make all the difference. They put everything else in context. Without a good story, you're following a script... Get this artifact, get this weapon, kill this many bad guys, etc. It's about repetitive movements.
With a story there, the author has the ability to provide inventive ways to accomplish a goal, not simply "leveling up" forever. Of course, that requires an inventive game author. As another commenter noted, it's in the balance of the two.
As evil as Microsoft is, I've never been able to decide whether or not Bill Gates himself is evil.
Penn Jillette (from Penn and Teller) had a good take on this during a radio interview I heard a while ago. He said that these people truly think they are doing the right thing. They are not inherently evil, even if their actions end up seeming that way. In the end it is a skewed view of the individual, not someone being actively evil.
Of course he was talking about George Bush, not Bill Gates, but the intent translates.
Dragon's Lair made for some nice eye candy at the time, but as a game, it totally stunk. Despite sharing my first name with the gallant hero, it held my interest for about 15 minutes before going back to the rest of the arcade.
Dragon's Lair was a very early example of the game that looks so much better than it plays.
Wow. The parent comment is exactly what I would have said when reviewing recent versions of Final Fantasy.
If you care about accessibility (blind users for instance) then you have to seperate. Frankly, it's easier to do anyhow. Build the code first and output the data you need. Worry about how it looks later. If you are building a standards-based accessible website, the data will be output then the CSS will tell it where to go and how to look.
"As I hope to have a family to support in the near future, I would be interested in tips or techniques to prepare for this situation."
Seriously, hide some of the money you saved and don't let your wife know how much you make. They always want more. They will suck you dry (and not in the good way that makes you smile).
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They won't charge. They don't need to. You use it, they get to show you ads (their main revenue stream) AND use your data later with advanced data mining techniques so they can sell aggregate data on users. The more users the better.
I used to agree with this, until I spent some more time looking into it. Certainly XMLHttpRequest is the most powerful aspect of Ajax and it is easy to use. But Ajax generally comprises much more than that. The Dynamic HTML part can get quite confusing, especially across browsers. Look at the examples of what some of these projects can do. They are certainly big and sometimes bloated. I'm still struggling with that part as well, but I don't have the time to figure out all the details when a toolkit can handle that for me. It's no different than using a high level language and libraries, or should I write all my code in Assembly?
I just went through and evaluated most of these myself in the past week because of a new work project. Dojo is by far the best when looking at building a real web "application". The others have limitations (such as Google's toolkit which requires you to write your code in Java) or are focused too much on "flashy" stuff. Dojo provides dialog boxes, windows, an editor, and more. It still has bugs and is an early version, so you need to consider your audience and time frame. For example, I had a problem with FF 1.0.7 (even though they say it is supported) but I only need to support FF 1.5 and Safari 2. I'm building a complex web app for an internal audience and I can guarantee they'll have one of these 2 browsers. Still, it seems to have broader support than some of the others toolkits. While I'm jsut starting with it, I've been happy so far. There's little documentation but the examples are good enough to get you started.
Stories can make all the difference. They put everything else in context. Without a good story, you're following a script... Get this artifact, get this weapon, kill this many bad guys, etc. It's about repetitive movements. With a story there, the author has the ability to provide inventive ways to accomplish a goal, not simply "leveling up" forever. Of course, that requires an inventive game author. As another commenter noted, it's in the balance of the two.
Isn't the more important aspect of this the concern that anyone could use this to tap into a conversation over Skype?
Of course he was talking about George Bush, not Bill Gates, but the intent translates.
If you care about accessibility (blind users for instance) then you have to seperate. Frankly, it's easier to do anyhow. Build the code first and output the data you need. Worry about how it looks later. If you are building a standards-based accessible website, the data will be output then the CSS will tell it where to go and how to look.
"As I hope to have a family to support in the near future, I would be interested in tips or techniques to prepare for this situation." Seriously, hide some of the money you saved and don't let your wife know how much you make. They always want more. They will suck you dry (and not in the good way that makes you smile).