Decision re netscape 4

In midst of a decision about earlier browsers

[richlowe]

I am in the midst of a decision regarding my web site. It's over 3800 pages of internet and web tips (and a few hundred pages of jokes) available to anyone without charge.

I have been working hard on it lately, slowly working on making it CSS and XHTML compliant. I've got a long way to go, but since my site is about internet tips, I feel like it should validate someday and I should be working towards that goal.

The problem is that earlier browsers don't support these things, and I don't really feel like going through a whole lot of effort to add that support to my site. It seems to me like trying to support old, less advanced browsers adds tremendous work to what I'm doing with little gain.

So I need some opinions: support older browsers or don't worry about it?

And also, if I decide to only support CSS and XHTML compliant browsers (which is where I am leaning), hot do I note this on the site so it can be seen? Is there a standard way to do this?

Thanks, Richard Lowe

[brotherhood of LAN]

Hi Rich,

>>support older browsers or don't worry about it?

Do you know how many people visiting your site currently use netscape 4? Or more importantly, do you know what aspects of your new design will be incompatible with older browsers?

I can't give you a good answer but giving us a round number of your netscape users can see how many people you are going to "sacrifice" :P

[papabaer]

Hello Rich,

It is important to make the distiction that coding following XHTML and CSS does not automatically preclude compatability with older browsers. Far from it in fact.

It is true that NN4 and even Web TV have limited support for CSS. The difficulties arise when the developer moves beyond very basic CSS and includes techniques beyond the capability of older user-agents.

The decision to "expand the toolbox" at the expense of older browser support was seemingly an "either/or" situtation. It is not...

Using the @import rule to deliver css instructions to modern browsers while protecting older user-agents is more than a viable solution: it is an EXCELLENT one!

It becomes a WIN/WIN solution. The developer can use advanced CSS for positioning content and presentational styles, while delivering legible pages of content to site visitors surfing with older browsers.

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

- papabaer ;)