AJAX ..All the kids are doing it!

I'm not a developer, nor do I play one on TV. But I have been reading a lot lately about all this AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) that seems to be the rage. Its a way of using a collection of Javascript and XML to create the new wave of Interactive web pages (buzzwords being Web 2.0, Tagging, del.icio.us, yadda yadda). I need to give my good buddy and web guru Mike Shea a call to find out if it's all just a fad-ish type bubble, or if it is the way of the future. Lost? I suggest checking out the Wikipedia.. oh wait..there's another buzzword.