WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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RE: "somebody needs to blink first"

for

From: Kevin Spruill
Date: Feb 21, 2003 3:03PM

John,

I think you missed my point... I never said (don't think anyone did) we should "coddle" older browsers... the reality is however that if one is truly concerned about
making the information accessible to all, then you have to consider users who for whatever reason, might not have the latest and greatest browser. NS didn't lose the browser wars... they surrendered. Nevertheless... there are public libraries, and any number of other venues that users rely on to access information that more than likely don't have the latest and greatest... not because they don't want to support them, but because they don't have the budgetary and/or IT resources to upgrade their systems. Same with k-12 schools, and some colleges - what programs that offer supplemental education to older adults... what about Senior centers? I could go on and on with exceptions... but I think I've made my point.

And considering how under represented in the workforce disabled individuals are, they certainly won't have the financial wherewithal to buy a new machine, etc.

I agree wholeheartedly... it is up to conscientious designers/developers to not only push for and use Web Standards and Universal Design, but to also consider all users. So, just as we have to wait for all browsers to become compliant - working around the idiosyncracies - we also have to wait for the day when all users have access to said browsers. And that day my friend is further off than the day NS/IE 4x usage drop below .5% - about a 1.5 years away (still).

You're right... it is about Accessibility... which means accommodating all users. (He says climbing down from his soapbox)

Ps. The Edsel failed due more to poor marketing/research, than inherent flaws in the vehicle (don't get me wrong, there were some... but they didn't seal the cars fate). It was a perfect example of sticking steadfastly to a single, non-accommodating/narrow focus.


HK

Kevin Spruill
National Library of Medicine
OCCS
<EMAIL REMOVED>
(301) 402-9708
(301) 402-0367 (fax)
www.nlm.nih.gov

>>> <EMAIL REMOVED> 02/21/03 02:41PM >>>
... as Kynn drives off in his Edsel...


Bottom line: Netscape lost the browser wars years ago - most users are
surfing with a version of IE anyway, and as XP is now really the only OS
version Microsoft is supporting, and IE 6 is the default install, most home
users are gradually switching to a compliant browser as I write this. My
server logs show NN4 at less than 2% across many, many sites. So the
average home user has already made the switch, probably happened at least 12
to 18 months ago. So what we really are left with is those lumbering
institutions who have not felt any pressure to upgrade because there has
been little to no complaints (I can personally think of at least a few
Canadian Federal Departments guilty of this). The moment that changes,
action will happen.

You want to keep propping up flawed software - go for it. I would rather
encourage and entice users to keep up, yes, for their own good, but also for
others. If we can start to develop to standards and still maintain
reasonable "display parity" then compliant code semantically and
structurally organized, is by it's very nature, more accessible, at least in
my experience. And since this list is about accessibility, isn't that the
goal?

JF



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