May
11th

Classmates: A Popular Social Networking Website

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Have you ever wondered whatever happened to your high school sweetheart? How about your best friend who you lost contact with overtime?  If you have there is a good chance that you have tried to contact them.  Unfortunately, many individuals get married or move away.  This may make it difficult to contact those that you used to know. That is unless you join one of the most popular online social networking websites. That website is known as Classmates.

Although classmates is considered a social networking website, it is, in a way, unique from most of the others.  This is because classmates focuses on connections that were made in school, whether it be elementary school, high school, or college. Although it is encouraged that you contact those that you know from school, you are able to contact just about anyone on the website. That is one of the many features of Classmates that makes the social networking site worth joining.

The only problem that many internet users have with Classmates is the fact that it is often requires a paid membership. There is a free membership plan that is available, but you are limited with what you can do on the site. Despite the fact that you have to become a paid member to enjoy what Classmates has to offer, it is well worth it. In addition to being well worth it, the membership fee is easy to afford. Currently, there are three different levels of membership that you can sign up for, the highest being only five dollars a month.

If you are interested in seeing what Classmates has to offer, you can easily do so by visiting their online website at www.classmates.com.  Once at their main page, you will have to go through the process of selecting your school.  Once that has been done, you will then need to create a user profile. This profile is part of what will be displayed on the website; however, once you officially become a member you can add more information to your profile.

With a free membership, you can post your own profile and view profiles from other members. Viewing the profiles of other members, especially those that you went to school with, is easy.  Classmates has separated everyone into categories. These categories not only include the schools that everyone went to, but the years that they attended. This means that whether you graduated in 1970 or 2000, you should easily be able to obtain information on your classmates.

Although you can view other member profiles with a free membership, you cannot contact them. To make contact with those that you have lost touch with, you will need to become a paying member. As previously mentioned, this membership is relatively easy to afford.  Once you have become a paid member, you cannot not only contact your classmates individually, but you can also send out broadcast messages or announcements to everyone that you went to school with.  A paid membership also gives you the ability to use the message boards.

By joining Classmates, you will not only be able to make contact with your old classmates and friends, but you may also even be able to renew old friendships or make new ones.  Reconnecting with your old friends and making new ones, what could be better than that?

May
10th

Creating Your Social Networking Website Profile

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How you would like to meet and communicate with other internet users, especially ones that share the same views and beliefs as you do? If you would then you may want to think about joining a social networking website, if you haven’t already done so. When it comes to easily finding and communicating online with other internet users, social networking sites are, perhaps, the best way to go.

If you are interested in joining a social networking website, the first thing that you will need to do is find a network to join. You can easily find a number of networks by performing a standard internet search. For the best search results, you may want to search with the words social networking or social networking websites.  In your search, it is likely that that you come up with a fairly large number of different networking sites.  Popular sites that may be included in your search results may include, but will not be limited to, MySpace, Orkut, Yahoo! 360, FriendFinder, FriendWise, Facebook, and Classmates.

Once you have made the decision to join a particular social networking website, whether or not it is one of the ones mentioned above, you will need to need to register with the site.  Even free networking communities require that you go through the registration process. Once you are registered, you should be able to start communicating with other community members.  Before you start communicating, you may need to develop your online profile or profile page, depending on the networking site in question. Although it may seem easy enough to create a profile, there are many internet users who are unsure exactly what they should and should not include.

Perhaps, one of the most important things to include in your online website is your picture. While a personal picture is optional, it is ideal. Many internet users enjoy taking to someone that they can see in their minds, without a picture this is difficult.  If you are looking to use social networking websites just to meet new friends you may not necessarily need to post a private picture, but you may need to if you are looking to find love online. When it comes to internet dating, many individuals will not even view an online profile if a picture is not included.

In addition to your photograph, you may want to include your name.  Now, when it comes to your name, you need to be cautious.  You are advised against giving your full name, especially if your profile or profile page contains a personal photograph of you.  In addition to your name, you may want to put down your location.  As with your name it is important to display caution.  Your picture, your address, and your full name can be dangerous, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. As much as you would like to fill your social networking profiles with personal information, you are advised to think about your safety before anything else.

You may also want to include information on yourself. This information may include your hobbies, issues that are important to do, your likes, and your dislikes.  With many social networking websites, including MySpace, you will find that there are preset profile fields for this information. In addition to preset questions or categories on your likes and dislikes, you may also find additional information, including fun questionnaires.  Many social networking websites will ask that you describe your favorite color, your goals in life, your most embarrassing moment, and so on. As with your other personal information, it is important to stay as vague and possible and not use any full names, especially real ones.

By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should not only be able to create an online social networking profile that is filled with valuable information, but you can do so while staying safe at the same time.  Your safety on the internet is in your hands, that is why it is important to think about safety, as well as internet popularity.

May
9th

Facebook: A Popular Social Networking Website

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Individuals, of all different ages, enjoy meeting and communicating with other internet users.  Despite the fact that individuals of all ages use the internet to socialize, there are certain groups of individuals that do more than others. Those groups of individuals include students, both high school students and college students. For that reason, it is only fitting that there should be a social networking website that has a focus on these particular individuals. That networking website is known as Facebook.

Facebook may not be as well known as other popular social networking websites, such as Yahoo! 360 or MySpace, but it is still popular.  That popularity is mostly among high school students and college students, mostly because Facebook focuses on these individuals in particular.  With Facebook, you are required to register for a specific network. That network can either include the high school or college which you attended or are currently attending.  Once you have joined the website, you should easily be able to make contact with others who are in the same network.

The network in which you join can be considered an advantage of Facebook, as well as a disadvantage.  See, Facebook does not work like most other social networking websites.  Instead of being able to communicate with all site members, you are limited to contact with those that are in your particular network, the high school or college you that selected.  The creators of Facebook state that this is for your own safety.  Although it is safer for your profile and personal information to be viewed by a small number of individuals, you may not necessity want it to be that way.

Although a large amount of focus is placed on high school students and college students, Facebook has added another popular feature to their website. That feature is workplace networks. By joining a specific workplace network, you will be granted access to other community members who work for the same company as you. This feature is nice, especially since many companies have become large corporations or expanded across the country.  You may be able to make contact and become friends with a long-distance coworker that you never knew you had.

Another aspect of Facebook that you may find inconvenient is their lack of available information, before you decide to become a community member.  When viewing their online website, which can be found at www.facebook.com, it is hard to tell whether or not the site is free to use.  Most online social networking sites will make this known right upfront, but Facebook does not.  Aside from the price, you should easily be able to obtain additional information on Facebook, before making the decision to become a member. This additional information may include how Facebook works, why you should become a member, how the invite process works, and general rules and restrictions that are in place.

If you are interested in joining the Facebook community, you should do what you should do with all other social networking websites, research.  By taking the time to research and examine everything that Facebook has to offer, you should be able to decide whether or not this popular networking community is what you were looking for.  There is a good chance that it will be, but if not, do not worry. There are literally an unlimited number of other social networking websites that you can join.

May
8th

FriendFinder: A Popular Social Networking Website

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If you enjoy using the internet to meet new people online, there is a good chance that you have heard of or even used a social networking website before.  Social networking websites are websites that allow internet users with the same interests, views, and beliefs to come together online.  In a way, a social networking site is similar to a community or neighborhood. Although there is a good chance that you have used a social networking service before, there is a chance that you haven’t.  If you haven’t but you are interested, you will have to find a social networking website to join.

When it comes to finding a social networking website, you will find that you literally have an unlimited number of different options.  Social networks have popped up all over the internet. Of course, you can join as many social networking sites as you would like to, but doing so can be tiring and time consuming.  Instead of signing up for a large number of social networking sites or the first one that you come across, you are advised to research and examine a particular site.  Doing so will enable to find and join the perfect social networking site, at least the one that is perfect for your needs.

As previously mentioned, when searching for a social networking website, you will find that you have a number of different options.  One of those options is likely to be FriendFinder. FriendFinder is known as one of the most popular online social networking websites. In a way, they are as just as well known as MySpace or Yahoo! 360.  If you are unsure as to whether or not you would like to join FriendFinder, you are encouraged to examine the site. After examining the features, the programs, and the benefits of joining, you may find that FriendFinder is a social networking community that you want to be a part of.

The goal of FriendFinder, as well as many other social networking websites, is to allow you to meet other internet users. With special search features and detailed profile pages, social networking websites allow you to find an individual who shares the same interests, views, or beliefs as yourself.  With many network community members posting their pictures, you could also, if you desire, choose a friend based on their physical appearance. Even though it is possible to do, it has led many individuals to misunderstand what FriendFinder is all about.  Unfortunately, a large number of individuals believe that it is solely an online dating site.

Of course there are always community members that will meet, date, or even get married. All social networking websites, including FriendFinder, have these types of close relationships.  However, FriendFinder is not necessarily classified as a dating website.  Although you can choose to date other members if you want, it is not required.  In fact, a large number of FriendFinder community members are not looking for a relationship, just an online friendship. This means that you should not feel any pressure when it comes to joining this popular online community.

Speaking of joining FriendFinder, you will also find that you have a number of different options. FriendFinder has a number of different membership plans. These plans start out as free and then increase from there.  A free membership plan will allow you to browse member profiles, chat, and send private messages.  Although there are a number of things that you can do at FriendFinder for free, you are encouraged to obtain one of their paying memberships, especially if you like the website. These paying membership grant you access to top of the line website features.

If you are interested in becoming a member of FriendFinder, whether it be a free member or a paying member, you are enounced to check out the FriendFinder website. That website can be found by visiting www.friendfinder.com. Although nothing is guaranteed, there is a good chance that you will like what you see, as well as meet a large number of community members that you may develop a close relationship with.  .

May
7th

FriendWise: A Popular Social Networking Website

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Social networking websites, they are all over the internet.  While many would assume a large selection of networks is good, the selection often makes it difficult to find a quality social networking website.  If you are interested in meeting new friends online, you are advised against signing up for just any social networking site that you come across. Instead, you are advised to take the time to research and examine a number of different social networking sites.  Perhaps, it is best way to find a network that is not only popularity, but one that is considered a quality site.

In your search for an online social network, it is likely that you will come across FriendWise.  FriendWise may not be as popular as MySpace, Yahoo! 360, or Orkut, but it is still popular.  In fact, its popularity has increased overtime and it expected to continue increasing.  If you are interested in joining FriendWise, you are advised to research and fully examine this popular online network. As previously mentioned above, that examination should enable you to decide whether or not FriendWise is able to offer you want you want or need to get out of your social networking experience.

The only problem with FriendWise is that it is hard to get information about the site until you become a member.  Unlike most other networking websites, FriendWise does not automatically state whether or not they are free to use.  It is safe to assume they are free because their site does not mention anything about membership fees and the signup page does not have any room for credit card information, but it is still nice to know ahead of time.  However, despite the fact that FriendWise does not automatically advertise whether their service is free to use, there are a number of different features that they website does touch on.

The goal of FriendWise, like many other online social networking websites, is to give internet users a chance to come together and connect. Once you have signed up for FriendWise, you should be able to begin making your profile page. Your profile page will outline information on yourself, such as your likes, dislikes, and hobbies.  After your profile page has been created, it can be viewed by other internet users.  Internet users do not have to be a member of the FriendWise community to view your profile, but they need to be to contact you.

In addition to making contact and joining the network of other FriendWise members, you can also participate in discussions held in the FriendWise online message forums. The online message forum is host to a number of different topics.  Popular topics that are discussed include sex, religion, music, school, and general issues about the website.

There are also additional features that are aimed at providing entertainment for FriendWise community members. These features include, but are not limited to, battles, quizzes, and polls. The battle is almost like a picture contest.  Two pictures will be posted and you need to choose which one you think could win the battle.  Most of the quizzes available on FriendWise are made by network members.  The polls are also created by FriendWise members and you will find that they are not only easy to take, but fun to as well.

If you are interested in joining FriendWise or at least learning more information about this popular social networking community, you are advised to visit their online website. That website can be found at www.friendwise.com.

May
6th

Making the Most Out of Social Networking Websites

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Do you belong to an online social networking website? With their recent rise in popularity there is a good chance that you do.  However, it is one thing to be a community member and another to actually participate in online discussions, as well as the many other network features.  That is why it is advised that you learn how to make the most out of your social networking experience.

Many internet users already think that they know everything that they need to know about their social networking community.  Unfortunately, not everyone does. In fact, you can find numerous posts online of people ranting or stating that they wished that their social networking website, such as Yahoo! 360, MySpace, Orkut, FriendWise, or FriendFinder, has a particular service and feature.  Too many times, those posters did not look before they started speaking because, as it turns out, many social networking websites have what people want, just everyone doesn’t know about it.

The first step, in making the most out of your social networking experience, is to familiarize yourself to the online community or communities that you belong to. This can easily be done by closely examining the website. There are too many internet users who are focused on meeting new friends that they get started right away.  While it is nice to start meeting new people right away, it is also nice to know what your social networking site has to offer.  This can only be done by closely examining the website.  Whether you take one hour or one day examining the website, you will likely be pleased with your decision to do it.

When examining the website of the online community that you belong to, it is advised that you examine the terms of use agreement. This agreement often outlines what you can and cannot do online. Despite the fact that a large number of online networking sites, such as MySpace, have little rules, there are other websites that have them.  These rules and restrictions may limit the content that you can have on your site, as well as your pictures, videos, and other media.  Many websites, including social networking websites, will terminate your membership if you are found violating these agreements.  By reading all of the rules and restrictions of the social networking website you belong to, you should be able to ensure that you can continue to use and enjoy the site.

One of the many benefits to fully examining the social network you belong to is that you could be alerted to network benefits, features, or services that you were previously unaware of.  In addition to giving you your own profile page and allowing you to invite other internet users into your network, there are a number of other things that you can do with online social networking websites. A large number of websites have created features and sections that include horoscopes, quizzes, polls, instant massaging, chat rooms, and much more.  However, before you make use of these member benefits, you must know that they exist.

If you are interested in making new online friends, it is likely that you have already joined an online social networking community. Whether you are interested in joining more or you are a first time user, you will to carefully choose your networks.  By researching each social networking website online, you should easily be able to famialrize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each. And, since most social networking websites are free to use, there are no risks associated with giving the network a try.  If you happen to come across a website that requires a paid membership and you would like to try it, you are advised to lookout for free membership plans or free trail periods.  They may be able to help you determine whether or not the social networking website that you are interested in joining is worth the cost.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways to go about making the most out of your social networking experience. The control is in your hands.  It is your decision as to whether or not you want to spend a small amount of time researching your network and everything that it has to offer.  However, it is important to note that not doing so may literally mean that you are missing out on all of the fun.

May
6th

RIA - Rich Internet Application And Content Management

Today everyone talks about Web 2.0. But while the idea of a collective intelligence, implied here by the term’s inventor Tim O’Reily remains an object of trivial speculations, it is obvious that the World Wide Web is changing. Web applications are increasingly approaching the level of functionality, which is usually found only in desktop applications. And as this trend is gaining momentum, we can already witness the dawn of a new era brought about by a novel kind of web applications - Rich Internet Applications (IRA). At the same time, the popularity of terms like Web 2.0 and RIA makes developers use them as an attractive label on their products, without actually understanding the meaning behind those notions. So what does RIA mean, eventually?

Rich Internet Applications (RIA)

The term Rich Internet Applications (RIA) was first mentioned in Macromedia’s promotional materials in March 2002. By this the company’s managers wanted to point out that the well-known Flash technology is not limited to creating attractive visual web-elements, but can also be used to develop fully functional web-based business applications. Apart from providing user with data, static pages of older-type sites are much less flexible in terms of user-data interaction compared to desktop applications. Every time you request additional data (navigate the site) or upload data to server the pages have to reload. This is often inconvenient and, above all, can compromise security because of the possibility of data loss (say, due to a lost server connection). Yet this is exactly the way Web 1.0 works. Every time you type URL or save data in a web form, server receives instructions which it then uses to form a page you see next. With RIA, there’s no need to reload pages. As you click to receive additional data or send data to server, the latter receives corresponding instructions and uploads the results onto the page. The application receives server’s response and changes accordingly. For example, if you browse an internet catalogue of an older type, every time you hit the button “next 20 items” you will have to wait for the page to reload and for a new page to shape. With a RIA-based site, you can request items 50 to 80 or all items in a specified price range on the same page, and with every new query only the list of items will be updated.

Today RIA can be developed with the help of AJAX, Adobe Flex, Windows Presentation Foundation, Flash, Java-applets, Java and some declarative languages - such as XUL and MXML. Of all these tools only AJAX and Flash gained wide popularity - mainly because they are easily available. And whereas development of Flash-based applications is quite a resource-consuming and expensive process, developing RIA with AJAX takes hardly more time then it would with an older-type, classical web-site. In most current projects Flash is only used when it is needed.

The very name - AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) - reveals the essence of the technology. It allows the client engine and the server-based part of the web-application interact asynchronously. This means that your browser can request server at any point (say, when you hover your mouse over a link) and, vice versa, server can upload data to browser at any time, without waiting for a new page to be requested. How does it actually work?

One of the most popular uses that AJAX has found is in the web-based drag & drop technology. You must have already seen the virtual desktop services - such as found at www.netvibes.com and www.pageflakes.com. Their users can arrange widgets (useful data from other servers) on the screen and adjust their size just like we usually do it in Microsoft Windows. These features are now increasingly found in business-applications. For example, at www.atlas.cz users can customize the starting page with as much ease as any virtual desktop.

The possibility to customize pages with the help of ready-made design templates reduced the dependence of CMS (Content Management Systems) users on site developers. Using the mouse a CMS administrator can arrange various data modules, specify their size, color and other attributes at a page. Then s/he can save the current configuration which will later be displayed to site users. Yet advantages provided by Drag&Drop technology to CMS administrators are even greater when it comes to site content management. In latest CMSs all the administrator has to do to change position of any document in the structure (or of an entry in the list) is to drag and drop it at the desirable point. It is exactly the way files are managed in Microsoft Window Explorer.

RIA

As we’ve already mentioned, with RIA there’s no need to upload all the user data at once. Parts of it can be uploaded later, when they are actually requested for. For example, when administrator switches to the CMS’s site structure management interface, only the basic level of the hierarchy tree is loaded. If later user wants to explore any of the tree’s “branches”, the additional data will be uploaded instantly. This feature is even more important in managing various lists. The application returns to the interface only those entries that user specifically requested. Moreover, even data input procedures acquire new features. Modern web-applications increasingly offer input option which acquired wide popularity thanks to Google Suggest service. As soon as you start to type something in the required field, a dropdown list appears with suggestions based on the already typed in elements. Those who at least once had to, say, choose a producer from a seemingly endless dropdown list in the SELECT field will fully appreciate the convenience of this feature.

RIA

The fact that there’s no need to reload the page every time its user performs an operation changes the very perception of a web-interface. You can type in data in several forms placed on one and the same page but, say, on different tabs. Then all the data can be saved simultaneously. And, importantly, in case due to some reason (a lost connection, an internal error etc) the data is not saved, the interface will report it and let you try again. And we all know only too well that poor security was one of the basic flaws with older-type web interfaces.

It is obvious that apart from everything else IRA-based sites can report the status of processes and their results. Today it is only perceived as natural when any element involved in some system operations displays their status on a special bar. Let’s say, for example, that you requested a list of specified items to be displayed by an e-catalogue. In that case you have the right to know what the system is up to from the moment of query to the moment the list is displayed. If due to some reason the server is unable to return the requested data, you should receive the corresponding message.

RIA

With RIA the functionality and security of CMSs reach a totally new level, which earlier was available only with desktop applications. Yet we should not forget that RIA-based interfaces are capable of interacting not only with their own server software, but with third-party applications as well. This fact lets us hope that present-day CMSs will gradually evolve towards ECM (Enterprise Content Management), thus bridging the gap between corporate sites and corporate network information resources.

May
5th

MySpace: A Popular Social Networking Website

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Do you surf the internet, listen to the radio, or watch television?  If you do, there is a good chance that you have heard of MySpace before.  MySpace is on online social networking website that has literally taken the world by storm.  This is because, in what seemed like no time at all, MySpace has grown to become one of the most popular online websites, in the entire world.

The first step in joining this popular online social network is to register for an account. This can be done in a matter of minutes.  Although you can view a number of different MySpace pages without registering, it is advised that you do. Registration will allow you to not only create your own MySpace page, but enjoy many of the other features that can be found on the site.  What you may like most about MySpace is that it is completely free to use.

Once you join MySpace, you can create your own profile page. Although this is optional, it is the best way to communicate with others and make new friends. To make the experience easier, MySpace has a fairly large collection of profile templates. These templates not only have an impact on the background of your profile page, but the text fonts as well. In addition to using the pre-designed templates, you can also create your own, especially if you have basic knowledge of HTML.

Many MySpace users have sections that allow them to describe themselves and their likes and dislikes.  In addition to these preset sections, you can also add your own.  A large number of users have posted clips from their favorite movies, television shows, or music videos. You can also add you own pictures and your own videos, if you choose to do so. Although MySpace does have some rules, which can be found in their terms of use agreement, you basically have unlimited freedom, when it comes to creating your own MySpace page.

After you have created your own MySpace page, you can easily search for others. You can search for others with a wide variety of different keyword phrases.  If you are looking for someone who lives near you, you can search for your town.  If you are looking for someone who shares your love of animals, you can search for pet lovers.  Once you have found the MySpace page of someone who you would like to become friends with, you can invite them to join your network. In addition to inviting others to join your network, there is a good chance that you will be invited to join others.

Although MySpace has been in the media because of its popularity, attention has been given to the popular social networking website, attention it probably didn’t wish that it had received.  With MySpace, as well a large number of other networking sites, internet safety has become a big issue, especially with children.  If you are the parent of a child, you may wish to monitor their MySpace activity or ensure that their profile is set to a private listing.  MySpace has a number of safety features is place, but to make use of these features you must know that they exist.

In addition to being a traditional social networking website, one that lets you meet and speak to other members, MySpace is well known for its additional features. These features commonly include music videos, horoscopes, chat rooms, careers, and instant messaging. If you are interested in using these features, as well as the many others that can be found on MySpace, you are encouraged to register for your free membership today. You can do this by visiting www.myspace.com.

May
5th

AHAH - Asychronous HTML and HTTP

Files under Learn AJAX, Web 2.0, Web Development | 157 views | Leave a Comment

AJAX ? AHAH ! sounds funny, but AHAH now stands for Asychronous HTML and HTTP, a technique for dynamically updating web pages using JavaScript, involving usage of XMLHTTPRequest to retrieve (X)HTML fragments which are then inserted directly into the web page, whence they can be styled using CSS. Nothing new until now, except that inspite of retreiving XML, AHAH stands for retreiving (X)HTML.

AHAH is intended to be a much simpler way to do web development than AJAX : “Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.” Strictly speaking, AHAH can be considered a subset of AJAX, since (X)HTML is just a special kind of XML.

The main reasons that made AHAH exists :

  • The lack of custom XML schemas dramatically reduces design time
  • AHAH can trivially reuse existing HTML pages, avoiding the need for a custom web service
  • All data transport is done via browser-friendly HTML, easing debugging and testing
  • The HTML is designed to be directly embedded in the page’s DOM, eliminating the need for parsing
  • As HTML, designers can format it using CSS, rather than programmers having to do XSLT transforms
  • Processing is all done on the server, so the client-side programming is essentiall nil (moving opaque bits)

This is a sample code for sending an AHAH request:

function ahah(url,target) {
// native XMLHttpRequest object
document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = 'sending...';
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.onreadystatechange = function() {ahahDone(target);};
req.open("GET", url, true);
req.send(null);
// IE/Windows ActiveX version
} else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
req = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
if (req) {
req.onreadystatechange = function() {ahahDone(target);};
req.open("GET", url, true);
req.send();
}
}
}

Then to receive an AHAH request

function ahahDone(target) {
// only if req is "loaded"
if (req.readyState == 4) {
// only if "OK"
if (req.status == 200) {
results = req.responseText;
document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = results;
} else {
document.getElementById(target).innerHTML="ahah error:n" +
req.statusText;
}
}
}

AHAH, also called JAH, for Just Asynchronous HTML, was introduced on May 12, 2005 by Kevin Marks. The term “AHAH” was proposed by Ernest Prabhakar during the 2005 Web 2.0 conference, and later adopted as part of the REST-Enabled XHTML microformat for web services. AHAH, now I understand better, did you ?

May
4th

Ajax in a Whitebox

Files under Learn AJAX, Web 2.0, Web Development | 133 views | Leave a Comment

We have already laid out some of the loopholes that could be used by different hackers. In this article we will take a look at a very basic hack that could be done even by none-developers and how to prevent it.

Personally, the biggest problem for any Ajax based developer is the transparency of the source code. To understand this let us take a look at different online applications that runs in a different language. An HTML application for example will only show you a source code with the input box and nothing else. That information is useless for hackers since it just translates a very small part of what they see. An HTML based application securely covers its source code and shows practically nothing. A hacker will probably use a sniffer (network traffic analyzer) but it will just show up some information on what server is used. In that point, a hacker may already create a hacking script but hackers will still have a long way to go through just to infiltrate an HTML-based website.

Unfortunately for Ajax, that is not the case. Ajax based applications have to “show” their source code to the client to ensure the program goes through. It is as simple as installing the right Firefox add-on tool that shows the actual code of the website to know the actual source code. Some even say that a website is not secure enough even the FrontPage application could show the source code. With that, hackers will practically know everything about your website and its process. If they have a sniffer, they can immediately build a small script to hack your website.

There are three recommendations I could give to somehow prevent others from seeing the actual source code:

1. Obfuscate JavaScript – quite an advanced word but it just actually tells the developed to confuse the hacker by getting them confused on what you are writing. There are tools that you can use that enable you to build a confusing website. But this will only confuse the hacker not the system. This will probably discourage the hacker but if the attacker sees the formula, you are back to square one in security.

2. Disable Right-Click Function – Remember those pesky messages that you see in a simple website where they do not allow copying? That will probably work on your website but not for long. Again, you are just buying some time for any hacker to think of alternatives to access your site. But this is good especially protecting yourself from newbie hackers.

3. Code Compression – There are web development companies that sell tools for code compression. To put it simply, the code is scrambled so that it will never be understood by any tool by hackers. Since this is a very complicated security tool, be sure to prepare a little bit of funding since these code compression tools will cost you.

Remember, the first two tips are just simple tricks to buy you time. Be sure to use this when you are just looking for a proper compression tool for your code.