[thesite] comments on test.evolt.org

.jeff jeff at members.evolt.org
Fri Jun 29 12:37:43 CDT 2001


aardvark,

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: From: aardvark
:
: - the expando-boxen relies on browser detection,
: something to which i am generally opposed (but not
: completely) on this site... i just think it will
: cause a lot of hassle down the road, and still
: doesn't account for JS-disabled browsers, and the
: occassional mis-detection...
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

actually it does account for js-disabled browsers.  if you don't have js
enabled you won't see the expand/collapse all link or expand/collapse
comment links.  it would also account for mis-detection or the likelihood
that we remove the serverside detection and fail gracefully for those users
that don't support the w3c dom method of object finding (getElementById).

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: it is my belief that the code should come off the
: server the same for everyone, built to support the
: lowest baseline, and have features added to support
: the higher-end, without detracting from the usability
: of the lower-ends of the scale...
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

for the sake of argument i've removed the serverside detection.  what about
the way it's done does not achieve what you've outlined above?  i'm not
asking in an effort to keep this particular feature.  i'd just like to know
for the future.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > your problem must exist with us detecting and
: > placing enhancements based on browser rather
: > than feature detection, right? i'm sure that
: > can be implemented.
:
: exactly...
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you can't do feature detection on the server, unfortunately.  so, i removed
the serverside browser detection and am sending it down the pipe to
everyone.  if they have js enabled *and* support the getElementById() method
i set up the page for them.  if either of those are not true, then they
don't see all the expand/collapse links.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: > the inclusion of a richtext editor for IE5+ or
: > ie5/nn6+ or whatever, or even based on the
: > features required for it to work, does not
: > reduce functionality of the site at all.
:
: no, the inclusion doesn't... but if it's inclusion
: followed by lack of support in any way slows a user,
: then it might not be a good idea... the 'feature'
: isn't a bad thing, it's just an issue of how it's
: implemented...
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

agreed.

thanks,

.jeff

http://evolt.org/
jeff at members.evolt.org
http://members.evolt.org/jeff/






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