OpenAjax Metadata vs. Google Gadgets

OpenAjax Alliance recently came out with their metadata. This is a configuration of XML pushed by the OpenAjax Alliance for interoperability. There is always a constant talk among developers on how to successfully run a mash-up. Different theories have been made and they are sometimes clashing.

Some emphasize security while others emphasize interactivity. Although both are essential, one of them is often preferred over the other. OpenAjax Alliance has found the answer in dealing with these problems through metadata.

The metadata pushed by the OpenAjax Alliance could ensure the interoperability of the different frameworks for an Ajax based application.

They could also ensure security as the metadata is highly controlled by the Alliance so they would know how to answer the problem as soon as an attack happens.

Apparently, this method of security and interoperability of metadata has a competition. Google has developed their version of metadata. It is not actually a “prefer me, ignore them” competition because Google does not want to compete with the OpenAjax Alliance in the first place. Google widgets offer an alternative for developers who are looking for other forms of metadata.

Google widgets were already in place long before the metadata was introduced. To a simple user, the widgets offered by Google as simple Ajax based applications that could be launched right in the desktop. They are hybrid of online connectivity and offline functionality.

Although other internet giants offer the same experience for webtops and widgets, none of them could reach the height of popularity of Google in terms of online desktop widgets. This is basically a framework that lets developers manipulate the data they see online and render them to their users.

It is a free framework which means almost any type of widget is available online from Google. There are already thousands of widgets that are available for free.

Basically the problem of OpenAjax Alliance is on how to sway developers on the side of metadata. There are thousands of Google Widgets and frankly, some of them are quite useless but the mere fact that they come in drones mean that patronization of Google Widget is always there. Besides, the technology behind Google widgets is impressive.

But Google widgets, like most of the internet giants, only work things out for their own advantage. Google widgets are not industry standard and will never be used for other applications from other online companies. There have been reports that Google updates their widgets without even thinking of backward compatibility.

On the other hand, OpenAjax Alliance is confident on the shift to the metadata for the reason that metadata could provide what Google widgets have to offer and more. The “more” part of metadata is that developers could infuse XSLT transcoders.

These transcoders work well with different widgets including Google widgets. That means developers could even upgrade their Google widget with the help of the OpenAjax Alliance metadata.

The OpenAjax Alliance is very confident of this innovation in terms of performance. They were able to take a good lesson from Google and significantly improved on it.