Ajaxian.com has pointed out "How to: Get Google and AJAX to Play Nice" from softwaredeveloper.com, described by some commenters as a fairly basic set of suggestions that everyone should have already known. That said, apparently some haven't gotten the message yet. (You know who you are!, which means "Get the message, you tools.") The list of the "right steps," following the handy "don't do this" list:

• Design your site with degradable AJAX, that way users with JavaScript disabled can view a working version of your website along with JavaScript enabled visitors.
• After you've established a non-AJAX working version of your website, go back and include an alternative AJAX enhancements where you desire.
• When designing, make sure to check your website with JavaScript disabled as well as through the eyes of a text only browser such as Lynx or SEO-Browser.
• Perform a browser check to make sure the user has JavaScript enabled, that way you're only serving AJAX pages to users that can view them.

My favorite article on this issue names it "graceful degradation and progressive enhancement" and is off accessites.org: http://accessites.org/site/2007/02/graceful-degradation-progressive-enhancement/1/ As usage for hand held devices, which tend to implement JavaScript inconsistently, escalates worldwide this is going to become a bigger and bigger issue. Pete Johnson HP.com Chief Architect Personal Blog: http://nerdguru.net

As usage for hand held devices, which tend to implement JavaScript inconsistently, escalates worldwide this is going to become a bigger and bigger issue.

Using Opera Mini or Opera Mobile solves a lot of this issues.

When designing, make sure to check your website with JavaScript disabled as well as through the eyes of a text only browser such as Lynx or SEO-Browser.

Don't forget to test your site with a mobile device: http://www.operamini.com/demo/ (Opera Mini 3.1 Simulator)

Using Opera Mini or Opera Mobile solves a lot of this issues.

Hi Rex, I would definitely do a happy dance if a particular mobile browser (or even 2) would emerge to dominate usage worldwide as a de facto standard the way that IE and Firefox have on the desktop. So far, though, that hasn't happened so, as I mentioned, hand held browsing implementations are inconsistent with respect to their JavaScript enabling. Given how many players there are (providers, hardware manufacturers, etc.), I'd expect that to continue for awhile despite wishing otherwise to make life for myself easier. ---Pete Pete Johnson HP.com Chief Architect Personal Blog: http://nerdguru.net

Given how many players there are (providers, hardware manufacturers, etc.), I'd expect that to continue for awhile despite wishing otherwise to make life for myself easier.

So, your mobile phone is not supported by Opera Mini?

Isn't that a bit like asking your users to download Opera to run your webapp?

So, your mobile phone is not supported by Opera Mini?

I think the idea is quite simple - until a browser is installed on 90+% of target devices, you don't rely on it. Compatibility and other technical advantages are irrelevant.

Sorry guys, but you missed the point. I never claimed that using a modern browser solves the issue of web accessibility (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_accessibility). I claim that while the usage of hand helds escalates, also the usage of modern browsers escalades (tomorrow is i-day). And so the "JavaScript on mobiles issue" becomes less and less an issue.

Hey Rex,

So, your mobile phone is not supported by Opera Mini?

It is, but it doesn't come out of the box with it. While I (14 year IT vet) would be willing to install it, my Dad (retired teacher) won't and my babysitter (college bound teenager) might or might not. If every mobile vendor installed Opera, this wouldn't be a problem at all but the reality is they don't.

I claim that while the usage of hand helds escalates, also the usage of modern browsers escalades (tomorrow is i-day). And so the "JavaScript on mobiles issue" becomes less and less an issue.

This, I absolutely agree with. It's just going to take time, a lot of time. Until then, and until screen readers make JavaScript compatible improvements to cover the segment of folks with disabilities, the safest way to go is to implement the suggestions at the top that Joseph found and at the link I referenced in my original. ---Pete Pete Johnson HP.com Chief Architect Personal Blog: http://nerdguru.net

While I (14 year IT vet) would be willing to install it, my Dad (retired teacher) won't and my babysitter (college bound teenager) might or might not.

Go for it. Dad and the babysitter wouldn't use any browser on the mobile phone at this time.

This, I absolutely agree with. It's just going to take time, a lot of time.

That's a good consensus. We just differ in schedule. :-)

Until then, and until screen readers make JavaScript compatible improvements to cover the segment of folks with disabilities, the safest way to go is to implement the suggestions at the top that Joseph found and at the link I referenced in my original.

I agree, and also wanna add this link: http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/making-small-devices-look-great-15/

Like most good advice , this is common sense, especially the part around 'graceful degredation from Ajax to normal html'. I would add 'pay attention to your url structure' to the list. Struts / Struts 2 and other web frameworks give you a lot of flexibility in the text you can use in your URL's. Google pays a lot of attention the words in these URL's , so it's worth having a strategy to make these as readable as possible. Paul , Personal Wiki (Ajax and Appfuse)

Search engine optimization has become latest tool in online marketing industry. AJAX powered websites look wonderful, but your url doesnt change when you click any internal links. This is a major major issue with search engine optimization. Most of the well established companies are going for Search engine friendly websites which will help them receive more traffic through search engines. This is the reason why AJAX started loosing its popularity. Search engine promotion is high on priority list of clients as compared to AJAX. Search Engine Optimization Company

Two years after, this is no longer true, AJAX (in extreme Single Page Interface) and SEO can become fully compatible. Your application can be Single Page Interface and in the same time page based when JavaScript is disabled.

Take a look:
http://itsnat.sourceforge.net/php/spim/spi_manifesto_en.php
http://itsnat.sourceforge.net/index.php?_page=support.tutorial.spi_site
http://www.innowhere.com:8080/spitut/   (online demo)