Moo.fx bills itself as “the next small thing.” It’s a JavaScript library, which seems to offer at least some of the slick effects of js libraries like Prototype and the script.aculo.us effects; but in a teeny, teeny package. 3 Kb, actually.
There was once a time when I felt that JavaScript was a little quaint; something that was used on web pages in 1998, and was no longer needed or interesting. (Yes, I have noted before my outstanding ability to display zero technological foresight.) I have to say that in the last year, my opinion has completely flipped. Sure, you could say that it’s a bit of a fad; AJAX being the buzzword of the moment, new, “cool,” JavaScript libraries popping up all over the internet–but the way I see it, if you couldn’t do cool things with it, it wouldn’t be a fad.
JavaScript is nice because it’s ubiquitous, also. Sure, a few folks may have it turned off, but those folks are generally tech-savvy, and can easily turn it back on if they need to. I like Flash, and I’m learning more about using it all the time–but there’s something really admirable about a site that manages to be as beautiful and dynamic as a Flash site… while using no Flash at all.
Also, if you aren’t a digg reader, you might have missed Phil Renaud’s list of 35 websites, all of which are stellar examples of design (some using Flash, and many not). Very nice.
