Liquid Layout (Was RE: [thelist] Tip o'the day (x2))

[aardvark]

> From: "John Handelaar" <john at userfrenzy.com>
> 
> <alert type="heresy right ahead">

*blasphemer !*

> Apart from the ability to fill screen space entirely
> for its own sake, and to create bodies of text
> far too physically wide to be comfortably legible,
> what is the point of 'liquid' layout anyway?

just that...

> Assuming that your accessibility requirements are
> adequately covered in other ways, I mean?
> 
> Sorry, but I *really* don't like liquid layouts.
> I use a 1024x768 (laptop) screen for work, and
> even evolt.org is bloody difficult to read because
> People Can't Read Wide Columns Of Text. This Lesson
> Was Learned In Print Centuries Ago Which Is Why
> Newspapers Have Column Layouts.  Just because
> something *can* be done, doesn't mean it should.

i used to agree with you very much... my own personal site uses a 
restricted width for that very reason...

however, after running some testing with users on liquid sites, i 
found that most people didn't run full screen...  the more savvy 
users resized their windows to a comfortable width, and seemed to 
appreciate that they had control over that...

the less experienced users just unmaxiized their windows and still 
surfed quite happily...

those who still wanted to surf full-screen didn't seem to care that 
the text was wide, or that it was slowing them down...

so after that, i started giving the user the ability to contol the 
width...

so my response would be, why don't you just resize your window?  
and as a tester, my question would be, why do you surf at full 
screen anyway, knowing the text is harder to read?

> [dons flame-retardent suit]

what's the text representation of the sound of a flamethrower?