The Gift of Code
The article outlines the evolution of web technologies during Web 2.0, highlighting HTML5's creation, JavaScript's stagnation, Mozilla's rise with Firefox, and the impact of Adobe's Project Tamarin on development.
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The article discusses the evolution of web technologies during the Web 2.0 era, particularly focusing on the development of HTML and JavaScript. In the early 2000s, a split occurred in HTML standards, leading to the formation of the WHATWG, which aimed to create HTML5. Despite significant advancements in web applications through AJAX and dynamic HTML, JavaScript saw little progress, with the last major update being ECMAScript 3 in 1999. The article highlights the role of Mozilla, which emerged from Netscape's decline, and the eventual release of Firefox in 2004, which aimed to support modern web standards. Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia and the development of ActionScript for Flash also played a crucial role in web interactivity. In 2006, Adobe contributed Project Tamarin, a JavaScript Virtual Machine, to Mozilla, hoping to revitalize JavaScript development. However, the ambitious ECMAScript 4 project ultimately failed due to its complexity, leading to the simpler ECMAScript 5 in 2009. Despite the discontinuation of Tamarin, its impact on the conversation around JavaScript development was significant, paving the way for future advancements.
- Web 2.0 saw a split in HTML standards leading to the creation of HTML5.
- JavaScript development stagnated until the introduction of Project Tamarin by Adobe.
- Mozilla Firefox emerged as a competitor to Internet Explorer, focusing on modern standards.
- ECMAScript 4 was ultimately deemed too ambitious, leading to the simpler ECMAScript 5.
- The collaboration between Adobe and Mozilla was pivotal in revitalizing JavaScript discussions.
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