Adobe's First 'Web 2.0' Application ! :-/

<snark alert>Now I wouldn't describe myself as a snarky sort of a blogger, but I confess, my snarky inner me is jumping up and down screaming: "snarkbait!!". So I'm going to succumb.</snark alert>. Oh, and this is IMHO, IMO, not the view of my employer, blah, blah.

I've just read this blog post on the Adobe blogs by Mike Potter called: "Adobe&aps First 'Web 2.0' Application". I think the title is mean to read "Adobe's First 'Web 2.0' Application" , but hey...

Now that's a title I couldn't resist, so I read through it with great excitement and fervour as it described a 'preview' of JamJar on labs.adobe.com. Apparently Mike is a HUGE fan of it and in his view is "one of the BEST 'client applications' Adobe has released". EVAR!!

So, now on to my snarky cheapshots.

Mike lists several reasons as to why JamJar is a Web 2.0 application: my notes not in italic, bold, green (with envy)

  • Its the first Adobe application to serve up Google ads from Adsense as the only revenue stream (currently). (ooh, that's right, that's totally Web 2.0)
  • Its the first Adobe application that really needed an Invite a friend link in the menu bar. (sorry, did someone say 2006?)
  • Its one of the first applications from Adobe that doesn't install on your hard drive. Yes, the company that brought you Creative Suite and its over 1 GB install, has created a program that doesn't install anything on your machine. (and that's what REALLY makes it a totally Web 2.0 application)
  • It integrates my photos from Flickr. (I see)
  • Its better than any other social networking web creation space, because changes happen in real time... No more reloading of pages to see what text would look like as Times New Roman rather than Arial... Change it and you see it immediately. (so, no one told Mike about Ajax, or Ploj (plain old Javascript)...hello...!)
  • Real time collaboration / file sharing! If two people are in the same JamJar space at the same time, changes to the space are reflected on both people's view, in real time. A long way to say that we can have a real time discussion in JamJar, or when you add a file to JamJar, and I'm on your space, I see it immediately and can download it right away. (ok, this may, just may be getting somewhere close to the vinicity of the region that is the unknown mystery known as Web 2.0)
  • Control who can do what to your space... When you invite friends to your space, you can make them authors (meaning they can read or write to your space) or just visitors (read only). (oh my gawd 2.0)

Mike volunteers 3 reasons as to why it is not a 'True Web 2.0' application:

  • No RSS feed for new items.
  • No way to create new JamJar components . (er, what?)
  • No APIs to add items to your space from outside JamJar.

I've got 3 other reasons to add to the list.

  • It should be called Jamjr. Now that would have made instantly into a True Web 2.0 application
  • 'True Web 2.0' web 2.0 applications don't require you install Flash Player 9
  • Web 2.0 applications work in Firefox. They also work in IE and most other browsers. In fact, most just work:

To be fair to Mike he does provide this disclaimer in his post:

"Apologies for the click-bait in the title. I'm not a big fan of the term 'Web 2.0'."

Clearly.

(Note to Mike - if you're going to play in the 'True Web 2.0' space, you need to used to the snark 2.0...welcome! ;-)

Oh, and while we're at it, have you seen this ad on the TV?

Shift 2.0??? More like Shaft 2.0 me thinks. Have a great Weekend 2.0!