[thelist] Jumping In With Both Feet

martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com
Tue Dec 11 09:11:31 CST 2001


Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

-------------------- Start of message text --------------------



To:   thelist at lists.evolt.org
Subject:  RE: [thelist] Jumping In With Both Feet

>> But does it actually matter? Really, what *user* benefits does anything
>> introduced since then actually offer? All the real new benefits to users
>> have been unrelated to client-side improvements - they've been
>> how the organisation running the site operates and what services it
>> provides.
>> All the stuff around standards, and separation of content & styling, are
>> *designer* benefits.
>> A user's (justifiable) response is "Not my problem". Why should they
spend
>> money on phone
>> bills so Nathan Barley types can have an easier life?

>My personal feeling is that newer browsers enhance the user experience
(nows
>theres one of those cliches!)

But if the user thinks that their experience is good enough...

>we always seem to halt our progress because we have
>to cater for those users who don't want to upgrade, or cant afford to -
>solving this problem would make the web a better place and a better
>experience.

For us, sure. But why does *our* progress matter?

>Do we force the users to upgrade by not developing sites for they're
>browser....no, bad solution, but there has to be a cut off point on
browser
>compatability, that way maybe we can squeeze out the gruddy browsers - but
>you can't do this until the users can readily get new software and
upgrades
>for free, quickly and easily - bring on more bandwidth and we're sorted,

Or alternatively, wait for the user upgrade cycle of operating
systems/computers.
You'd have to be truely perverse to install IE4 on Win98, or Netscape4.x
on OSX. I imagine that after this Christmas, many of the older PCs will be
upgraded/replaced, thus moving a whole user group off IE4 to IE6.

Even though I have many browsers on my Mac at home, what do I
use for browsing? IE5.1 as the OSX makes it a pain in the bum to
use any of my old browsers. If I remember, I'll use Netscape 6 now
and then, and I *may* get around to downloading Omniweb. But that's
me who has an *interest* in seeing how things work in other browsers.

Really, I think that the days of any significant numbers of users upgrading
their browsers alone are pretty much gone. What users have is (to their
minds) good enough. If there's a new browser with their OS, fine - they'll
use that instead as long as it doesn't fall over too much.

Cheers
Martin


--------------------- End of message text --------------------

This e-mail is sent by the above named in their
individual, non-business capacity and is not on
behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

PricewaterhouseCoopers may monitor outgoing and incoming
e-mails and other telecommunications on its e-mail and
telecommunications systems.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged
material.  Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or
taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or
entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.   If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any
computer.





More information about the thelist mailing list