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Read it, comment, and share it with your friendsWhat has Ask search gained from AJAX?
So I checked out the new AJAX-based search engine from Ask.com called “Ask X” today. It’s a pretty solid AJAX app; it updates the URL on events and seems to handle interaction solidly. It isn’t very accessible, considering it has quite a few “javascript:void(0)” links in there and such, but there isn’t anything surprising about that.
The thing about Ask X, though, is that besides the flashy look & feel of the application, there’s nothing new that it brings to the world of search. You can still use the classic Ask search engine (just click on “Exit Ask X” at the top) and if you don’t have Javascript available it will default to that search engine, where every feature works with or without Javascript. After a few minutes of trying both search engines, I was left wondering, “what was the motivation behind Ask X?” In every situation we have to ask, are we using AJAX for the sake of using AJAX or are we using it to solve a specific problem that cannot be solved with server-side code alone? After all, Ask X is not faster than classic Ask, nor does it offer any new features. It has cool fade effects, but who cares about that? The only thing that really makes it any different from classic Ask is that it is less accessible. What’s the business argument for a new implementation of an existing product that adds no new features and shrinks the available customer base?
Now we could say that Ask X is a nice experiment in AJAX development, but considering that Ask could devote some effort to improving their product and working up the ladder which Google sits atop of, they should probably be pushing their developers to more useful work, such as improving the relevancy of their results or finding new ways to fight spam. After all, if Google continues to be the most successful search engine around, I think we can admit that users are not in need of a more flashy search experience… they just need the best results possible. If you ask me, Ask.com wasted their time on this one… pun intended.
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7 Comments
Responses to my articleI have used it and think it does add something. It has search suggestions on the left, and the right hand column offers all sorts of snippets of info - try searching “london” and you get time, weather, encylopedia info etc. Are you looking at the same site? www.askx.com
Fred, all those features are not AJAX dependent. The question I’m asking here is what does AJAX do for Ask X? Makes it less accessible, that’s all. It could do all the same things without AJAX, only then it wouldn’t be “buzzword compliant.”
Christian, I think you are trying to read too much into a what is essentially an experimental site. From what I can gather reading the about page for Ask X it is not supposed to be available to everyone and is a place where they can try new ideas and features out. If this is correct then trying AJAX makes sense. I really feel like you are being too harsh here.
I know my criticism can be harsh, but sometimes harsh criticism can be helpful. I really think they are headed in the wrong direction here and I’m just here shouting to them to focus on improving the things that matter in their product rather than adding eye candy.
I still think you are missing the big picture here. There are many innovations that Ask X brings to search that has nothing to do with eye candy. I’m all for being harsh where it makes sense. I just can’t see how your criticism makes sense here. Do you think that Ask X had the goal of using AJAX above other features? If so I think you are mistaken.
Well we’ll have to agree to disagree, because that was my first thought.
I agree, using AJAX gained AskX nothing but slowed it down, and now that I’ve read this article, made it less accessible. I’m not talking about the little AJAX niceties like search suggestion and MyStuff save link, but the fact that the page result mechanism is AJAX. If there is no way to speed up the page with AJAX, which ironically is what AJAX is supposed to do as it transfers “less” information between client and server, I’d say it should just use plain old server side.
Also, I agree, above all else, Ask should focus more on improving search relevancy and simplifying, not complicating, their user interface.
– Anonymous engineer at Ask.com
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