[LINK] curmudgeons wanted

[Gordon Keith]

On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:08:30 pm Eric Scheid wrote:
> I'd like to organise a panel or two for the weekend, and would especially
> like to get some outsiders to come in and upset the cart (or at least spook
> the horses some). To that end, what are some big issues that you think the
> web industry *isn't* addressing particularly well,

A lot of websites assume the sucker at the end is willing to put up with all 
the latest technologies just so they can use be victims of the site.

A (very) few sites understand that some users have concerns about the security 
of their systems are are unwilling to run any website's client side software, 
so all the essential work is done server side.

In particular I don't browse with javascript enabled in my browser, there are 
so many security issues with it that I don't consider it safe (I think these 
days it is probably better than it was, but I haven't kept well enough 
informed to be confident to turn it on). Any site which requires javascript 
to do anything loses my custom. Good sites use javascript to enhance the site 
but still work without it.

Likewise for cookies, java and flash.

I do have a second browser configured with less restrictive settings, so if I 
need to use a site I will start up that browser to do so, but there has to be 
sufficient need for me to go to the effort to start the second browser, it 
rarely happens.

Many websites also assume the user has abundant bandwidth. At home I'm on the 
bigpond 200MB/month upload and download. I have my browser configured not to 
load images by default and still often go over the limit (well the kids also 
use it and don't always use the same settings). If a site can't be used 
without downloading a page full of images, I usually won't bother using it. 
Again I don't even touch flash content.

How many websites profile the users who don't use their site because of 
unreasonable (to the user) demands they make on the users?  Have they even 
thought about the issue?

> and are you interested 
> in coming along and wielding the cluestick?

Afraid not.

Regards
Gordon

-- 

Gordon Keith

There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.