The ability to create dynamic portions of a website is crucial in providing an end user experience that is second to none. jQuery, and the like (mootools, rico, scriptaculous), makes it all the more simpler.

One powerful subset of a jQuery founded website are plug-ins. Simple pieces of open source code, developed by the community, that ease development time 100 fold. Case in point: the cycle plug-in.

The cycle plug-in is used to create slideshows of all kinds. A tutorial for how to do this can be found here, so I will refrain from recreating it. Follow the easy to navigate instruction set, and within 20 minutes, you can create a basic slideshow. Within 30 minutes and a much more dynamic and custom slideshow can also be created.

I will concede however, that there is such a thing as too much asynchronous activity. I prefer to look at a project and ask myself two questions: will this enhance the end user’s experience or will it get in the way and be a distraction? and the second: Do I really need to use jQuery for this?