[CLUE-Tech] Re: Browser Protest Day

[jbrockmeier at earthlink.net]

On Mon, 29 Apr 2002, Steve Fry wrote:

> > > I've fired off the first shot here:
> > >   http://www.directfit.com/UnsupportedClientType.ASP
> 
> I tried visiting their site under a wide variety of browsers - they're
> strict.  [I have all sorts of browsers but no versions of IE beyond IE4
> - I refuse!]  I asked them what their company did.
> 
> BUT, this got me thinking.  Maybe we're going about this all wrong. 
> Think of how many thousands of sites we'd have to visit to ask about
> compatibility.  WHAT IF ... we instead got Google and the other Search
> Engines to do this for us?  [C'mon - they're big OSS guys, aren't
> they?]  They could modify their spiders such that it could check pages
> for compatibility for all browsers.  No compatibility = no listing.  

As much as Google supports Open Source, they would be shooting
themselves in the foot to deny listing any [insert browser here]-only sites.
But... possibly they could have a list next to the link w/something
like [All | IE | Netscape | Opera | Lynx | Konqueror | Galeon] -
but I'm wondering who they would get the stats... 

There are a number of ways that sites are IE-only. Some just break, 
some deny access to non-IE browsers, some kind of break... I wonder
how one would go about figuring this out universally, or if it's 
even possible.
 
> [I do a manual version of this myself over at http://www.peaktopeak.net/
> - whenever someone submits a link - I - yes - me - manually - check out
> the site.  If I can't see the page in Nutscrape 4.7, I write a nice note
> and about 95% of the time the Webmaster had no idea he/she had any
> problems.  They usually fix and resubmit their site within a few days.]

You have something (a listing) that the site owner wants, so you have
some leverage. Kudos on using it wisely. :) 
 
> Too much to ask (of Google and the other search engines)?  Thoughts?  

Possibly, depending on how much code was involved.

Theoretically, it's a great idea - but I can also see abuses. Have one
page that's fully compliant, then the rest of the site IE only... 
I can see some Webmasters doing just that - though admittedly very 
few... 
 
> PS:  Plan B - with all of the tallent on this list, maybe we could
> create our own (google-like) search engine that only lists sites
> compatible to all browsers?  We could call it, get-a-clue!  [Any venture
> capitalists out there like this idea?]

Well... I think a "get a clue" site would be a good idea - maybe just
a listing of sites that are friendly to other browsers? I like the
idea - positive reinforcement.

Very hoopy thinking there... :) 

Take care,

Zonker
-- 
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier -=- jbrockmeier at earthlink.net
http://www.DissociatedPress.net/
ymessenger: jbrockmeier / AIM: ZonkerJoe
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"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our 
moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our 
government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the 
laws of the country." -- Thomas Jefferson