[thelist] Old Browsers old Software, cut bait and move on.

aardvark roselli at earthlink.net
Thu Jul 12 01:33:01 CDT 2001


> From: "Mark Cheng" <mark.cheng at ranger.com.au>
> >
> >the phone was brand new... what's so new about your site?
> >hypertext was brand new, are you not using it?  the light bulb?  is
> >your site navigation and content *that* revolutionary that you would
> >compare it to a light bulb?
> 
> What about the DOM?  From my brief flirt with the DOM it appears that
> having it makes it a hell of a lot easier to build user customisable
> pages.  Eg sorting lists/columns etc.  If a web designer is going to
> present an objective view, surely they need to present an overview of
> the things you can't do if you cater for older browsers.  Also, DOM
> manipulation can easily be done client side, taking the load off the
> client server.

*the* DOM?  like there haven't been DOMs before?

either way, yes, you can do that, and in *applications* and the like 
it's great... but again, we started by talking about transactional e-
comm sites...

are you doing all that DOM manipulation to have a user go from 
your product page to an order receipt, leaving their cc info along the 
way?  why not?  probably because it isn't *necessary*... so if you 
don't need that, then why *can't* that e-commerce piece work for 
all browsers?

> As a couple of people have said, a web designers job is to educate,
> and provide objective views.  Well, do that.  Tell clients that you
> can have a client side page sort, reshuffle layout, whatever, if they
> are willing to go with the Gen 5.

even if they don't need it?  again, keep in mind the context, it's not 
necessary for a cart... for an overall site, sure, but usually those 
'features' are just eye-candy and don't add too much to the 
function... if it's truly an online app, then you're talking 
intra/extranet, where you actually have some control over your 
users...

> >no, it's a *web* page, and people have certain expectations, certain
> >usability rules still apply, and old-school marketing tactics about
> >customer loyalty still rule...
> 
> Change useability to accessability and I agree with you.

you should agree with it as usability, too... why wouldn't Fitt's Law 
apply on a web page?  well, it does...

> >don't insult 'em, don't kick 'em out, and keep 'em happy...
> 
> If you are referring to clients - I agree.  Potential clients (users)
> are a dime a dozen.  Everyone is a potential client and while most
> business would love to have everyone as a client, most couldn't handle
> more than say, 500,000 actual clients.

if you feel every user/customer at a site is a dime a dozen, they 
will sense it and feel undervalued... customers are good at finding 
sites that act like they appreciate their time/business/patronage... 
again, old-world marketing still applies...

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but i liked it so much i put it on a billboard.  is that bad?





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