Coding for intranets (was RE: [thelist] Color Chooser Review -- c orrection)

[Tom Dell'Aringa]

Shirly, very well said. I've been trying to say all along that I don't disagree with standards or
accessiblity, etc. Sure, writing standardized code will (most likely) help you in the future,
regardless of what you are building.

But I was hired to perform a certain function, and I was given the parameters that I have to work
in. Were I hired and told "write HTML 4.0 validating code that is accessible to all disabled
persons and works in any browser" then - I would.

However, I've been hired and told to write DHTML and JS code that works only in IE5+, and to also
make generous use of VML as well. Besides that, our application connects with all kinds of other
things, including Windows apps - which obviously would not work on a Mac, either.

I love WaSP, I love Zeldman (actually got a chance to meet and talk to him) and his work, I wish
we had cross-platform standards!

But I also love writing snazzy DHTML/JS code for IE5+ that Martin and Jeff hate - but my employer
likes.

BTW - let's not confuse "accessibility" with "usability". Although they can be linked, they are
not the same thing. I've seen plenty of DHTML and Flash interfaces that were plenty usable (and
very "cool"), and not even remotely "accessible."

Tom


--- "Shirley Kaiser, SKDesigns" <skaiser1 at skdesigns.com> wrote:
> At 06:11 PM 5/28/2002, you typed:
> >.jeff, rudy, whoever -
> >
> >You both know I share your feelings about usability, accessibility, etc.
> >You've both commented on practical application of these concepts in a closed
> >environment.
> >
> >If I control the environment (and will continue to control it unless I leave
> >the company) what are the dangers of browser specific coding?
>
> Well, what if you decide you want to switch from using browser A to browser
> B for some reason? (such as if browser A's upgrades aren't as good as
> browser B anymore, or maybe browser B didn't even exist awhile back.....)
>
> Either way, though, if you continue to create your Internet with standards
> in mind, accessibility in mind, usability in mind, you won't have as many
> switch-over problems if you continue to work with a standards-oriented
> browser. You'll have that particular browser's quirks to contend with, of
> course, since each browser company doesn't interpret the W3C
> recommendations the same (and a few of the recommendations are still vague
> enough that this has happened -- see Jeffrey Zeldman's weblog
> <http://www.zeldman.com/> where he's written about this within the past
> month or two especially).
>
> So in the long run, it saves the company money.... the bottom line that
> companies usually appreciate and want.
>
> No browser is perfect (and don't we all know that?!?!? Geesh) and each has
> its strong and weak points and will mean changes to your Internet web pages
> in some way if it changes.
>
> And if you leave and someone else takes over and decides to take another
> approach, well, it ought to be easier, hopefully, on the next person, too.
>
> >Or, in Tom's
> >case, if it's not possible for a blind or other special user to even access
> >the system, what are the real-world problems with coding with that in mind?
>
> Any chance of having a blind employee? While I don't mean this at all in a
> discriminatory way, there are tasks that one must be sighted to do, while
> others can do fine whether sighted or not.
>
> Seems to me that if you don't have any blind employees right now (or other
> disabilities) and you're working with standards in mind that it would be
> easy enough to accommodate down the line if it comes up.
>
> I would have a different opinion for a Web site open to the world, of
> course. Intranets are different, though.
>
> >Are there cases where the rules can legitimately be ignored?
>
> I wouldn't say so much "ignore" as choose not to implement at the moment,
> keeping in mind that it could change in the future and allowing for that
> possibility to ensure a smoother transition if needed.
>
> Warmly,
> Shirley
>
> --
> Shirley E. Kaiser, M.A.,  SKDesigns  mailto:skaiser1 at skdesigns.com
> Website Design, Development      http://www.skdesigns.com/
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>
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