I was in a REST/Web2.0 workshop, and someone asked how REST, since through HTTP, which is a stateless protocol, is any faster than other, or previous approaches.
I’m not sure that REST does anything to speed up HTTP’s request/response mechanisms; but using AJAX surely enhances the user experience with perceived responsiveness given the nature of AJAX by doing things asynchronously.
I haven’t been to the GeoWeb conference in a couple of years, and given all the changes and advancements in the geospatial web over that time, this conference should prove to be quite interesting!