Forum Moderators: open
WOW! Clash of the Titans!
Netscape's lawsuit seeks not only an award of damages, but for the Court to provide injunctive relief that will help restore competition on the computer desktop.
I don't understand the part about 'injunctive relief'. Does that mean that IE won't be the only browser on the Windoze desktop?
And if this is the case, how will this impact what we do as webmasters? Does anyone test their code for compatibility with Netscape anymore?
(edited by: rcjordan at 9:57 pm (utc) on Jan. 22, 2002)
Absolutely. N4 and N6
With a 15% market share how can you afford not to?
I agree. I may not conform to NN6, but I test everthing with NN4+. You don't want to alienate potential customers...
<*POOF* It's done>
(edited by: rcjordan at 9:52 pm (utc) on Jan. 22, 2002)
Otherwise, I'll testify for MS and counter-sue NS for all of the time involved trying to get my sites to work with their 'layered' browser.
;) ;) ;)
But just to be safe, I also try to make sure I'm not requiring Javascript for any absolutely essential navigation/e-com functions. Non-JS visitors will miss out on some informational screens that open in small pop-up windows, but beyond that, they should be OK.
Interesting side note: I've run across quite a few web form functions lately that DON'T work for IE 5/Mac, but work fine in NN4.X/Mac... Fairly major stuff like myFedEx (offers personalized package tracking) and the State of Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend "Check Application Status" function... So if you have online forms, it may be worth taking the effort to have someone test them with IE/Mac.
I believe I've seen some references to unique dhtml problems in IE 5/Mac.
(edited by: rcjordan at 3:42 am (utc) on Jan. 23, 2002)
Why?
Just kidding, of course. Our print media guy uses a G4 so we can test everything for Mac. It's extremely helpful. Granted <1% of our traffic is from Mac, but, again, I'd hate to alienate any potential customers.
That's exactly why they make sniffer scripts. Which, I've noticed, are getting to be very compact now.
if you can do what you REALLY need in HTML 2 without CSS, layers and/or javascript do it!
Good boring solid HTML 2 can be read in ALL browsers.. Why alienate some of your audience by adding on fancy peripheral looks for the rest? Your pages may not look as spiffy, but they get your message accross quickly to the greatest number.. It also encourages a discipline to work on copy and compelling writing rather than technology. I worry about any product or service that needs technical falshiness to get their message across.
I usually won't do a visual prototype of any kind until the IA is basically mapped out. We talk about the target audience, I get some copy in my hands, even if preliminary, and then I do a first level of keyword research. Then we make some decisions about the IA and then we talk about appearance.
But chiyo, at least 3.2, right? I mean, tables and flowing text around images are pretty essential.
But I"m forced to test with Netscape 4.7 for that small segment.
I agree about keeping the code simple - tables, basic CSS, simple javascript. It all depends on your audience. My audience is not made up of techno-heads. Most are basic computer users at best.
In fact, the wireless version of my app is text only! That's been a blast to write! no tables, no div, span, img, etc. only <hr> and <a> for tags. The ASP code is still server side so my site works for all the wireless devices.
I was regressing too far.. I doubt whether there are any browsers not supporting at least 3.2.
I love working with css and js, but experience shows that we generally run these pages for a while, then ditch them for good old 3.2 sans js when we start getting complaints.
Simplicity is a lost art.
your point about clients is absolutely on target. It is clients that want flashy looking animated sites. They usually don't know the first thing about accessibility. Marcia's posts also reflect this a lot. We have to be educators as well, focusing clients on the key management objective of their internet presence, not its visual impact, the latter is usually where they come from..
and txbakers.. great comment about wireless and text.. for mobile devices/wireless etc, which will inreasingly become a key internet content interface, economic but compelling copy and writing and what tedster calls IA, is king...
