[thelist] Re: What shall we do with the W3C DOM?

[Jeff Nelson]

Hi Peter-Paul,

Peter-Paul Koch wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
> In a recent article about the W3C DOM I surprised myself by writing some
> paragraphs that, on second reading, seem to promise a whole new way of
> designing and developing websites. I desperately need some second (and
> third and fourth) opinions on this idea.
>
> Basically, since the W3C DOM allows us to completely rewrite the page
> according to the wishes of the user, we should design web pages in a new
> way.

Actually, I believe we *could* rewrite pages according to the wishes of
the user. Should we? In most cases, I would have to say probably not.
Conversely,there are some sites that would gain a great deal of utility
from doing so.

> We no longer need to take serious decisions about how the site will
> work, how the navigation, the forms and the other elements interact with
> the users.

Sure we do. That is our field of expertise. This is what the user,
regardless of experience level, expects from us. Ultimately, we create
cohesion, the glue that holds the site together.

> Instead, we can offer the user a way to create his/her own
> web page, with exactly those elements and that interaction he/she wants,
> likes or needs. Thus one web page can look completely different for two
> users.

Yes, we can offer, but how many takers are we going to have? Does the
average user *want* to configure a page (or a site) before they use it?
Of course, you would have a default "view", but how many users would
actually take advantage of the increased functionality? Would the ends,
in terms of increased development, maintenance and financial cost
justify the means?

> At its most extreme, usability specialists no longer need to decide how
> the web page will work and how the user would like to interact with it.
> Instead, they should decide how the "control panel" of the page should
> work, how the users can create their own page with a minimum of fuss.

As a user, I appreciate having maximum control, but do even I want to
configure every page/site I visit? I think not. Does the average
computer user? In my research (informal and undocumented), most users
just want to "get at the goods", or achieve the task at hand through the
fastest, simplest means possible. Most users really don't want to be
required to make choices. When I solicit comments from users regarding
my projects, the ability to create a custom environment has just never
surfaced.

Alas, by my response thus far, one might assume I am opposed to
scripting the DOM. I am not. Configuring the user environment on the fly
holds much promise. Specifically, I always thought the data binding
concept was innovative. The ability to assemble a user-defined data set,
especially in today's database driven network environment could solve
many data access problems. Certain intranet applications could also benefit.

> So when the W3C DOM comes into serious use we web developers should take
> one step back from the visible and clickable interface of the website
> and concentrate on the application layer that *creates* this visible and
> clickable interface.
>
> Is this a brilliant idea or complete nonsense?

Brilliant? Indeed. Implementable on a wide scale in a heterogeneous
environment? For most applications, probably not just yet. To a degree,
is the DOM, at least with regard to CSS not already in serious use? I
can (at last) write a page today that looks almost identical in the
major browsers. However, we will always be challenged attempting to
support last years browser. Graceful degradation is an academic concept.
We don't really want to see our work degrade at all. Or, more concisely,
we would at least like to see minimal degradation.

We presently enjoy an unprecedented level of standards compliance. Yet
even the smallest browser idiosyncrasy can break a complex application.
In a homogeneous environment we have greater control, and as such, we
can more fully exploit the capabilities of the DOM.

So, what shall we do with the W3C DOM? Experiment. Create web
applications, on a small scale, that meet our user's needs. Get
feedback. Test. See what works (or not). Don't create layers of
complexity. Keep it simple (where did I hear that?).

> Has anyone written anything about the usability aspects of the W3C DOM?

Yep. This is it.

> Does anyone know good practical examples that experiment with
 > completely fluid pages the users can modify to suit their needs?

Sorry.

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Have a great day!
-jeff