I tend to agree with Helen on this one. Yes, it is possible to design
websites for all browsers... but it's also true that I "[can't] be
bothered" to meet this "challenge" when there are more pressing needs on my
time than worrying about an exact replication of appearance for a small
percentage of browsers. This is one reason why we're beginning to use CSS
here at Sussex: version 4+ browsers will get a better looking ("optimised")
site than others; but the content remains accessible to all. In fact more
accessible than is the case when using all those nifty design tricks we've
employed in the past to replicate appearance across browsers e.g. a FONT
tag in every one of a hundred table cells, half of which are populated by
spacer GIFs etc.
I also agree with Colin that sites *should* be optimised for everyone; and
if I had the resources at my disposal, I would advocate just that!
Unfortunately I don't and because of this I am willing to compromise on
style if not accessibility.
Richard
University of Sussex
On 29 September 1999 13:37, C.K.Work [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] wrote:
| Helen Setchell said ...
|
| > As for writing for a particular browser, this is just something we have
to
| > live with. I would suggest that you write 'optimised for xxx' or 'best
| > viewed with xxx' which is a way of saying to the surfer 'this page may
look
| > a bit crummy in your browser, blame the hardware and software
developers for
| > competing against each other and making life difficult for all of us'.
|
| While I agree with most of what Helen says about identifying audiences
| etc., I differ with this last point. When I see "optimised for ..." or
| "Best viewed with .." I translate as "couldn't be bothered to sort it
| out". Granted there are cases when a service can be provided in one way
| only - but I would suggest these are pretty rare, and a lot less common
| than the "optimised for ..." statements would have you believe. One of
| the "challenges" of designing websites is to transcend the obstacles the
| software developers throw at us - after all, we are better than them
| aren't we :)
|
| Regards,
|
| Colin
|
|
|
|
| --
| _________________________________________________
| Colin K. Work
| Computing Services
| University of Southampton
|
| email [log in to unmask]
| tel. 01703 593090 (direct line)
|
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