Searching for the term “RIA” on Baidu Baike gives you http://baike.baidu.com/view/706341.htm, which says
What is RIA? RIA (Rich Interface Applications), rich interface applications, commonly known as fat client.
But the RIA I remember is Rich Internet Application — rich internet application. That difference startled me. When exactly did RIA pick up this other explanation, Rich Interface Applications?
The earliest Chinese explanation of RIA I’ve seen is RIA技术概览. That article has also been reposted the most.
RIA definition:
RIA (Rich Internet Application, rich internet application system) technology lets us deploy rich client programs over the internet in a way that is as simple as using the Web. It is a user interface that is more robust, more responsive, and has more interesting visual features than what HTML can deliver. Whether or not RIA will one day completely replace HTML application systems, as some have speculated, RIA does offer a cheap option for organizations that run complex application systems with fat client technology.
Personally, I think Rich Interface Applications can be understood as Rich Internet Application in the narrow sense: R Interface A is about interfaces and APIs, with the emphasis on skins and animated human-computer interaction. R Internet A, by contrast, targets web applications, where what users feel is an all-around upgraded “rich” experience — not just a rich interface and animations, but also a “rich” network (mainly data processing). The “rich” data model allows asynchronous interaction with the server, saving time and improving efficiency, and so on. It can also compute, transmit, and retrieve data asynchronously behind the scenes while the user makes requests, display an integrated user interface, and use sound and images together — all without depending on a server or back end that the client connects to (offline operation). The concept of R Internet A includes the ideas of Web 2.0.
Either way, my personal default namespace is still const RIA=Rich Internet Application. Some of this is just my own opinion — if it rubs you the wrong way, rational discussion is welcome.