[thelist] Why smart tags are no big deal...

John Handelaar genghis at members.evolt.org
Wed Jun 27 09:31:52 CDT 2001


> -----Original Message-----
> From: thelist-admin at lists.evolt.org
> [mailto:thelist-admin at lists.evolt.org]On Behalf Of evolt at spinhead
> Sent: 27 June 2001 15:15
> To: thelist at lists.evolt.org
> Subject: Re: [thelist] Why smart tags are no big deal...
>
> I think the point being made was that a
> 'gee whiz' add-in was eventually (more or less) deep-sixed because most MS
> users (however you categorize their computer abilities) found it annoying
> rather than helpful. Also, this is barely related to the real
> issues with IE
> smart tags.

...which in the current preview version of IE6 (or at least,
the one I d/l'd this morning) were also on by default, and
not off.

And that factpack which is currently downloadable and
highlights company names - and universities and US sports
teams - as smart tags goes right ahead and starts screwing
around with any site it encounters.

The idea that - at the very least - that fact pack won't
ship in the final release of IE6 looks like patent nonsense
from where I'm standing.  Ship a feature and then completely
disable it?  Not likely.

<dream on>
Of course, if we really wanted IE6 and smart tags cut dead
then all that is required is a few Time Warner-class providers
to lock it out in the same way that the lemur has demonstrated.
It's not too late...
</dream on>

------------------------------------------
John Handelaar

T +44 20 7209 4117       M +44 7930 681789
F +44 870 169 7657   E john at userfrenzy.com
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