Rich user experiences on the web have existed for many years through technologies like Adobe Flash, Flickr, Gmail, and Facebook. Adobe Flash is installed on 98% of computers and provides interactive content and custom effects. Flickr hosts over 4 billion images and allows for photo sharing and tagging. Gmail provides more storage than other services and filters spam. Facebook allows users to share daily updates and connect through chat, photos, groups, and applications. Browser wars in the past limited rich experiences but newer browsers now support emerging standards.

1. Web 2.0Rich User Experiences

2. RIA (Rich Internet Applications)Adobe Flash PlayerJavaAjax

3. Adobe player : The RIA

4. Benefits to the user e.g. Adobe flash Adobe flash is installed on 98% of personal computers and more than 450 million devicesProvides a greater reach for the user.Custom filters and effects. Built up from a wide range of programmes .80% of online videos use adobe flash to be viewed.

5. FlickrImage and video hosting websiteCommunity of sharing and visual dialogue through photographs and linkingOnline photo management and sharing applicationClaims to host more than 4 billion images

6. Features of flickrInteraction and CompatabiltyAccess ControlOrganizrMap SourcesFiltering

7. User benefits of flickrEasy-to-use interfaceTagging FolksonomyEasy access to photos

8. Google MailWeb mail service created in 2004.Originally launched as invitation only but became available to general public on February 7th 2007.Since July 2009 has had 146 million users a month.

9. Features of Google MailJune 2005- Gmail labs- new and experimental features such as book marking emails and custom keyboard shortcuts. December 2005- Gmail mobile free service available for mobiles and smart phones.

10. Advantages to users Less spam- filters spam mailMore storage- 7350 MB Gmail chat- save chats, no special software required.

11. FacebookFounded by then university students, Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Chris Hughes & Dustin MoskovitzA social networking websiteWritten and visual accounts of the daily lives of its users

12. Features of FacebookChatApplications (games, features)Notifying the userUploading & tagging photosComments & Feedback (statuses, notes, photos)Groups and Fan profiles

13. Improvements to the user interface of FacebookNews feed & Live feedPhoto upload browsers ( new & old)Bookmarking pagesOld uploaderNew uploader

14. Rich User Experiences Have Been ExistentMany capabilities now being explored have been around for many yearsNetscape and Microsoft both had a similar vision of what is now being realisedBattle over standards to be used made cross-browser applications difficult

15. Browser WarsVSFirefox, Safari, Google Chrome e.t.c

16. Microsoft eventually wins browser wars (who remembers Netscape?)Become single de-facto browser standard to write toNo destructive obstruction to progress since 90’sConsumers can expect much more rich user applications in future (improvements to Google docs, Gmail, windows 7 e.t.c)