---
title: "AOL’s New Module Playground"
date: 2006-03-20
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2006"
    url: "/tag/2006.md"
---

# AOL’s New Module Playground

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/files/styles/150_150/public/files/images/iamalpha.png) AOL has just released a new site called [I Am Alpha](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.iamalpha.com/), which is their version of [Yahoo! Widgets](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://widgets.yahoo.com/) or [Microsoft Gadgets](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://microsoftgadgets.com/). Google has [modules](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.google.com/apis/homepage/) and all the smaller players have similar widget featuresets – [PageFlakes](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.pageflakes.com/) calls them “flakes” and [Goowy](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.goowy.com/) calls them [minis](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www2.goowy.com/screenshotsweb.html). All of these things are basically little web apps that can be integrated into your desktop or a webpage (e.g. a personalized homepage such as live.com or PageFlakes). Here’s how AOL defines its modules:

> “A module is a “distinct piece of content or functionality.” That’s a fancy way of saying it’s a very small web page that can be embedded easily in another web page.”

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/files/styles/150_150/public/files/images/aol_module2.png)*Screenshot from the intro video*

As [ SiliconBeat noted](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.siliconbeat.com/entries/2006/03/20/developers_developers_developers.html), this is “another departure from AOL’s infamous “walled garden” days.” Although I would add out that none of these widget or module platforms is yet interoperable. Especially not the big companies, although of the smaller players [PageFlakes](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.pageflakes.com/) and [Netvibes](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.netvibes.com/) seem very keen on developing an open API platform.

I am Alpha is [focused](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.iamalpha.com/.developer/faq.jsp) on the AIM product right now, although I imagine this will extend out to AOL’s portal products in due course:

> “**I Am Alpha** is a site for developers and other curious folks to play around with the underlying technology behind a whole new crop of cool AIM products.”

I have to say this announcement by AOL looks promising. They’re talking of developing a microformat called [AOL ModuleT](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.iamalpha.com/.developer/profile/index.html): A Module Transport Microformat Profile. The [documentation](https://web.archive.org/web/20120519065723/http://www.iamalpha.com/.developer/create.jsp) for the modules is well done too and all in all it’s a promising addition to the Web’s growing widget ecosystem.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aols_new_module.php))*