[CLUE-Tech] Is this true?

[Steve Fry]

BTW, I tried visiting the site (http://www.msaa.com/).  In Nutscrape,
none of the frames even loaded and I got a blank page.  I had to use
Opera to see the browser-info link.

Here's what I wrote to them in the form on their browser page:

[Browser field:  Opera 6 (but you knew that by looking at your logs)]

"What's up with the special "Mac/Netscape Users" link.  Your statement
is pure BS ("Netscape no longer supporting basic code").  I think you
have a lazy Webmaster instead.

BTW - in Netscape, I can't even see your "Mac/Netscape Users"
button/link because the page doesn't even load.  In Opera, your menus
don't show me any options.

SO, if you're using this site to beg for bucks, please know that you are
ticking off over 10% of the online population."

Steve


BOF wrote:
> 
> Thanks to all of you who took time to reply. I suspected some of the
> points in your replies, but wanted to confirm my opinions before sending
> the site a comment. Here is what I sent the CEO and CIS officer of the
> site in question
> 
>     Hello,
> 
>     I recently visited your web site (www.msaa.com) and found the
>     following under a drop-down menu "Mac/Netscape Users" at the right
>     side of the menus on the main page:
> 
>         Assistance for Macintosh and Netscape Users
> 
>         Some Macintosh and most Netscape users experience problems when
>         accessing our pages. This is mostly due to Netscape no longer
>         supporting basic code used to run our menuing system.
> 
>         In order to assist you, we have to alter all of our pages in
>         order to make everything compatible. This is a long and detailed
>         process for which we neither have the manhours or funds to
>         complete. We will make the effort to support the various web
>         browsers, but we do not know when that will be completed.
> 
>         Until then, our hearts are with you.
> 
>         If you wish to upgrade to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, please
>         click icon.
> 
>     The excuse that "Netscape no longer supporting basic code used to
>     run the menuing system" is quite simply not true. I suspect that
>     whoever designed the page did it with a Microsoft tool and included
>     MS proprietary code,  Javascript, or ActiveX components  --- which
>     would make the site a non-standard site. There is no reason for the
>     designer to patronize the reader with a long false tale of woe about
>     having to alter the pages for other browsers, for I believe that, if
>     they had done a better job,  i.e., one that complied with published
>     open code standards for web pages, the site would be open to all
>     browsers to begin with.
> 
>     As far as the message of assistance directed at MacIntosh users, I
>     do not understand it at all. While the operating system has nothing
>     to do with the display of a web page, it may determine which browser
>     can be run. In fact, Mac users cannot run Internet Explorer because
>     IE is a Intel-based operating system browser. So why direct them to
>     upgrade to a browser when they cannot run it to begin with? Such
>     statements only further my opinion about the level of professional
>     competence of the designer of the page.
> 
>     If it is MSAA's decision not support browsers other than IE, then
>     the site should simply state that it is optimized for IE. There is
>     no reason to insult those who come to visit by degrading their
>     choice of browser and operating system or telling them they need to
>     "please click icon" [sic] to get Internet Explorer.
> 
>     P. S. BTW, when the designer finished the page, did they proof it? I
>     believe that in the MSAA logo, the word should be spelled
>     "Association" and not "Assoctation".
> 
> Let's see how long it takes them to correct the spelling error. <g>
> 
> BOF
> 
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