Despite a lack of a formal (and agreed upon) definition of “Web 2.0,” it is generally agreed that the concept includes “rich user interfaces.” Traditional Web interfaces have been limited to interaction methods described in HTML. The building of more expressive interfaces using tools such as Macromedia Flash has been discouraged due to accessibility concerns.

In this talk, Bebo will describe how the paradigm shifts in Web usage that led to the “Web 2.0” concept, the widespread adoption of technologies such as AJAX, and the diversity of Web-enabled devices has forced a re-examination of Web user interaction. He will explore how the demand for “Rich Internet Applications (RIA)” is forcing the designers of Web applications to create interfaces that more closely resemble those of traditional desktop applications.

Prof. Bebo White:

Prof. Bebo White is a Department Associate (Retired) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). SLAC is the high-energy physics laboratory associated with Stanford University and was the site of the first US Web site (and the 5th in the world). In addition, he holds faculty appointments at Hong Kong University, the University of San Francisco, and Contra Costa College.

In recognition of his work, Prof. White has been added to the Micro Times 100 list of those making outstanding contributions to personal computing and been cited by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as having made significant contributions to the development of WWW. He has also been elected to the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), made a Fellow of the World Wide Web Institute (IWWWI).