Is Microsoft / Google embracing jQuery a good thing?

I love that Microsoft and Google are embracing jQuery but is this good? How can I deal with the possible problems when I code?

The embracing of jQuery

Is it good or bad that the likes of Microsoft and Google are embracing jQuery?

In the case Microsoft & Google they are both providing free hosting on their CDNs (awesome) and in the case of Microsoft they are submitting features (maybe cool?)

Upside or Downside

However think about this ... by packaging jQuery with Visual Studio (for example) very quickly you might end up with sites relying on rather OLD versions of the library ...

In my case I've already run into clients running 1.3 code, when my work relied on 1.4's much improved features. Yet these clients don't have the resources to update their old code ...

This has long been a marginal drawback of JAVA and .Net ... but mostly jQuery has avoided this ...

The Question

Will the community benefit from this "embrace" or be hurt, and stuck with old versions?

What do you think?

And what happens when that 'corporate environment' is already a major version behind? Thoughts?

Justin Jenkins 2010-07-19 09:43:28

It's still much more easier to support jquery than microsoft ajax toolkit. From my point of view and experience.

Flakron Bytyqi 2010-07-19 13:16:08

Good points. Based on what I heard at the SF jQuery Conf I do think the jQuery team hopes to address this by making specific "core plugins" that aren't included in the true core, but are tested/proven to work with the core.I believe they intend some of the Microsoft stuff to be included only as these "core plugins" ...Still it is a scary thought.

Justin Jenkins 2010-07-19 09:52:40

Well, I guess if they're not actually intending it to go in the core then it's okay. But still, that data-link thing is just wild! Microsoft seem totally out of touch with most of people that develop with jQuery.

J-P 2010-07-19 09:56:51

Yes, honestly ... I went to the session by MS at the SF jQuery Conf, with MS showing off the data-link stuff ... and more then one person asked "why would I want this???" I can see some value ... but I agree it's an odd rabbit trail to follow. If we are lucky Open Source will show it's true value tho and sort things out?

Justin Jenkins 2010-07-19 09:59:44

@Justin - It's been said many times by both sides that the code they're talking about won't be **in jQuery Core**, this is a key distinction. A plugin isn't library bloat, it's completely optional. All approval for core additions is done completely by the jQuery team, not Microsoft. "Why would I want this?"...well, they're not saying you would, but if you *do*, you can just go grab the plugin.

Nick Craver 2010-07-19 10:39:21

I guess my point is ... say the client included a script tag including a old version of jQuery in their site template. That's not a big problem with Flash or Silverlight ... but a big problem with jQuery!

Justin Jenkins 2010-07-19 09:54:32

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