I recently started using AJAX, in conjunction with ASP.NET (and Visual Basic as the scripting language), and it has allowed me to create some really neat interactive web applications. I have used various AJAX tools, such as pop-up calendars and sliders to create web pages that are user-friendly and easier to use than their plain HTML counterparts. With AJAX, web pages no longer have to be completely reloaded when some of the data in them changes. On the Internet, AJAX is usually a combination of JavaScript and XML, and certainly not the well-known dishwashing detergent! Keeping up with the latest technologies in the computer business can be a daunting task, however adding AJAX to my skill set, was a very wise decision. As a web developer, knowing how to implement AJAX applications makes me that much more valuable.