[thelist] Browser Stats

[Ray Hill]

Michael Kimsal wrote:
> The people I know who aren't using IE who do not use 'recent'
> browsers *generally* are Linux users who won't get out of
> Netscape 4.6 or 4.7 mode.  They are mired in this attitude
> of  'everything should render perfectly under NS4.6 because
> it's what I use'.

Ok, now I understand where you're coming from.  You're not talking about the
majority of the population who use Netscape and/or older browser versions.
You're talking about the people *you* know who fit into that category.  As
professionals, surrounded by other professionals, it's sometimes easy for us
to lose track of the fact that we're the exception not the rule.

For the majority of the population, technology is just a tool, not an
obsession.  They don't want to spend time learning about the differences
between browsers, making an educated decision about which is best for them,
and keeping their ear to the ground so that the browser they installed when
it was new doesn't fall by the way side.  They want to just turn the thing
on and have it work, like their TV, radio, microwave, car, or any other
piece of technology they own.

But just because these people don't have the time or inclination to become
geeks themselves doesn't mean they're not worth your attention.  The average
Joe is going to spend just as much on the average product as anyone else.
And if they go to your site and can't get in because they're using the
browser that came pre-installed on their Gateway when they bought it three
years ago, you've just lost that customer's money.  And that's not even
counting the money you can save by not giving people a reason to badger your
customer support lines with incompatibility complaints.


--ray