From the Google page, AJAX Libraries API:
The AJAX Libraries API is a content distribution network and loading architecture for the most popular open source JavaScript libraries. By using the Google AJAX API Loader's
google.load()method, your application has high speed, globaly available access to a growing list of the most popular JavaScript open source libraries including:Google works directly with the key stake holders for each library effort and accept the latest stable versions as they are released. Once we host a release of a given library, we are committed to hosting that release indefinitely.
The AJAX Libraries API takes the pain out of developing mashups in JavaScript while using a collection of libraries. We take the pain out of hosting the libraries, correctly setting cache headers, staying up to date with the most recent bug fixes, etc.
There's also more information at Speed up access to your favorite frameworks via the AJAX Libraries API.
To play devil's avocado briefly, the question is – can we trust Google enough to build functionality around them? It might be a moot point if you're already using their APIs, and you could always use the libraries directly, but it's worth considering.
It's only hosting for js files! It'd be trivially easy to switch to a different hosting network (or host yourself) if problems arose.
You're being paranoid!
Sceptical, petal, there's a difference.
The point of playing devil's advocate is that someone like your manager will ask those questions (assuming they know you're using external libraries) so it's good to think about it.
Like I said, you can always just use them directly if you need to.
Nice to know we're on petal terms :)
Personally, I don't see a huge need to use content distribution networks for js files. Bandwidth is cheap, and the difference in load speed can't be THAT much.
Interesting though. Google obviously doing it just because they can (spare capacity) and because Yahoo does it already.
Maybe they think it'll increase take-up, maybe they're just being nice geeks… there's a lot of interesting developments from the big players at the moment, and a lot of leapfrogging.