[thelist] how "heavy" do you make each page?

[Mike Combs]

At 12:59 PM 4/2/2002, you wrote:
><snip>
>Do you have a rule of thumb for how large each page
>is when you DO NOT have a seperate page for low
>bandwidth and high bandwidth?
></snip>

I shoot for the 7 second rule (on a 56K modem running at 33.6K), but with a
few adjustments.

First, the CSS, background graphic and logos are loaded once and cached by
the browser for subsequent pages.  I link instead of embed JavaScripts,
too, so they can be cached.  I try to make my home page light so that it
will load quickly even with all of this overhead.

Other pages on the site can be larger.  I subtract all of the stuff I
assume has been cached when sizing those pages.  Also, I assume a little
more patience from the reader on subsequent pages.  Either they've clicked
through (thus indicating interest) or they've come in through a search
engine (indicating specific interest).

That's not always true, of course, but it's a guideline.

Also, I don't mind putting an extra image or two "below the fold",
especially if those extras put me over my bandwidth budget.  The time it
takes the reader to read and scroll down is extra time for the page to
download.

Last, but not least, it helps if the HTML text downloads quickly because it
gives the user more to look at.  I try to keep the text to graphics ratio high.

...mike