The document discusses real-time web technologies using socket.io and node.js. It allows for push communication from server to client without client polling. Older technologies like Ajax polling and long polling required the client to repeatedly ask the server for new data. Newer technologies like websockets allow for true push capabilities with real-time bidirectional communication between client and server. Socket.io provides websocket support with fallback options to older browsers. It also discusses setting up a basic node.js and socket.io environment with instructions on downloading, installing node.js, and installing socket.io with npm.
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