I was in a technical meeting recently, with about a dozen developers, and the discussion topic turned to AJAX. We were seated at tables in the usual presenter-in-the-center horsehoe configuration. Each participant was ensconced in a defensive posture, behind a big laptop. The tenor of technical meetings has changed over the years, thanks to technology. Complex adjustable office chairs facilitate slouching behind a laptop screen's protective wall, so that it's only necessary to expose one's eyes and forehead to the rest of the room. When someone ventured a point about AJAX, it was like ringing Pavlov's bell. A dozen foreheads tilted upwards, eyes wide open and shining from the reflected glint of email messages and web pages.

AJAX is the hot technology du jour, the saving grace for developers who've toiled for years, trying to make browser applications palatable. This was a sophisticated crowd, so the usual boosterism and swooning was quickly put aside in favor of some sober discussion about AJAX's shortcomings.

Meeting participants often use laptops and wireless internet connections as a way to multitask, snapping from one context to another just like music videos have trained them to. This can be a very disturbing experience for a presenter, since it's very easy to judge how well your material is getting across in real time. If you're not more interesting than email, IM, and the web, your message will reach little more than the gray plastic backs of laptops. Your words will just bounce off the lowered foreheads, while the keyboards quietly crackle. Ringing the AJAX bell roused the entire group for a moment. If we'd all been wearing miner's helmets, the dramatic shift in attention would have lit up the speaker's face like a spotlight.

Sometimes, web surfing in the middle of a discussion can have a very positive effect. When the web content you're scanning is related to the topic, a quick dose of the details can lead to a more informed discussion. Many people are much more effective at this than I am, so I've taken to watching what's appearing on the screens that flank mine. So, while the AJAX discussion lumbered along (apparently the developer documentation is inadequate) I kept an eye on my neighbors' screens. On my left, an interesting looking animated application appeared. The user typed names at what appeared to be a graph of the geological record and then a new version of the graph swooped into place. A closer look revealed that the graphs showed the relative popularity of people's names over the last 120 years. Given the discussion, I assumed that the application was some AJAXian miracle, like Google maps.

I didn't get around to trying the app until the next day. That's when I discovered (insert trumpet fanfare here) that what I'd been watching was an applet called Name Voyager. This applet is very cool and it's appealing to anyone who has a name. You will not be able to resist typing your appellation at the top to see how its popularity as fared since 1900. Although I was born and raised in the (great state) of New Jersey I have a pretty ethnic German name. The results from the Name Voyager for "Hans" are interesting. There's a big dip in the name's popularity in the 1940s. I wonder why.

Apology
If the beginning of this blog lead you to believe that I was building up to some revelation about AJAX or meeting dynamics or something other than a plug for a (really neat!) applet, you have my apologies. If you've observed that I have trouble with brevity, you have my complete agreement. If you've persevered and tried the applet and enjoyed the experience, you have my congratulations. If you're reading this on a laptop, instead of paying attention to the meeting you're supposed to be participating in; why not look up, smile knowingly at the presenter, and then return to playing with the Name Voyager. The guy sitting next to you is watching.