[thelist] Tips/Tricks/Tidbits... what do you add?

[Micky Hulse]

Christian Heilmann wrote:
> That is well, superfluous, but OK.

I guess so. I kinda like the seperation of content when styles are 
turned off.

> Don't get overboard with this. Only use skip links when they are
> really needed. A skip link should prevent a screen reader or keyboard
> user to have to navigate through a lot of links to reach the content.
> 4 skip links that are not the ones I need can be as annoying as a menu
> that is in my way.

Good points.

How often do you surf the web with styles turned off? :)

> This is just idiotic. It was needed when Netscape 4.x was around but
> even then it got ditched soon enough as it sounds arrogant and is
> really annoying for people who would love to have a better browser but
> cannot upgrade due to company policies. "Who are you to tell me what
> to install?" was a common retort to the browser upgrade campaign
> (http://archive.webstandards.org/upgrade/).

I think I will ditch it myself.

> Simply don't. If something is good enough to be on the page, put it on
> the page. A visible skip link circumventing your main navigation gives
> a better sign that you do care about accessibility than any WAI badge
> in your footer.

Sounds good. I do not care about the badge. Sounds like you meet many 
folks that do?

> Any hidden content could be considered an attempt to spam search
> engines, too, and if their robots are daft algorithms then you will be
> punished for doing the right thing.

That makes sense. Another good reason to ditch the old browser notice.

I have actually stopped supporting IE5.2/mac and IE5/PC, so I thought it 
was kinda useful to remind those folks, but I think you guys have 
changed my mind on that one. Also, I was not doing it to be snooty.

Snooty is how Yahoo deals with older browsers:

<http://snipurl.com/11ifo>

That is the Yahoo homepage as viewed by IE 5.2/mac.

> Accessibility is not about creating a special habitat for handicapped
> people where they see things others don't, it is about taking the
> extra step to also support these groups to improve the overall
> product. If the improvement interferes with the experience of the
> others in a brutal way (like alert() boxes in Ajax apps to make really
> old screen readers aware of what is happening) then it shouldn't be
> done either.

Good points.

I obviously have a lot more to learn about accessibility. :)

Thanks for the feedback,
Cheers,
Micky

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