[Wsuug] Good news!

[Ryan Brunsvold]

I think the  approach you're suggesting is problematic for two reasons:

1.) You are implying to the user that their current behaviour is  
somehow flawed, or at the minimum naive. Posting a message asking  
users to switch could potentially have the same affect as the old  
"This site best viewed in IE6 at 1024x768...." messages that once  
plagued our industry.

2.) Advertising a specific browser could be read as just that.  
Advertising. I think it might be too easy for a user to read any  
message as a sales pitch rather than a helpful suggestion.

I do agree that efforts need to be made to actively advocate the  
browsing experience that is most flexible and functional for the  
user. I'm just not sure that interrupting or amending the flow of an  
experience is the best route to take. Perhaps the more preferable  
direction might be to advocate FF or Safari through unique site  
content (blog posts, articles, etc...). At least this way it would be  
easier for the user to digest and hopefully learn all the benefits of  
one browser over another.

</two cents>

On Feb 20, 2008, at 11:03 AM, Joshua McDonald wrote:

> Actually, read what I said (I'm not saying that in the "you can't  
> read" tone...damn these internets and their lack of inflection)
>
> I said show a message.  Not disable the site.  That would never  
> work, for the reasons you said.  But showing a "readable" but non  
> "intrusive" message would do wonders.  Don't make people use/not  
> use one browser, but show them that there are alternatives.  Most  
> people just don't know that one browser provides a better, more  
> secure internet experience over another...
>
> I'm actually working on a campaign like this...a grassroots  
> "switch" campaign...I don't think the outcome would be huge, but I  
> am curious to see what just "informing" people on medium sized  
> sites would do for the awareness.
>
> -josh
>
> On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 10:58 AM, Andrew Jaswa <ajaswa at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
> On Feb 19, 2008 10:51 AM, Joshua McDonald <josh at thisisgrow.com> wrote:
> > They will never get it right.  Not with windows, not with IE.
>
> Bitter?
>
> > What needs to happen, is developers "join up" and stand up for our
> > standards.
>
> We are. Thats what half this group is about, the other half is
> providing the best experience to our users.
>
> > Big sites (eBay, MySpace, FaceBook, and major retail  
> sites....etc) should
> > team up and show a simple message.
>
> Umm... I have worked with some rather large sites and worked with
> folks who work on other large sites. We CANNOT stop support for 80+%
> (or which ever number you want) of our visitors. There is too much at
> stake (both in traffic and revenue). As web developers it is our job
> to provide the best experience to our users no matter what they prefer
> as their browser.
>
> This would be like going to a car wash and them turning me away
> because I drive a Honda. They'll let in Ford's, Chevy's and any other
> car you want to throw in there. But not me because I drive a Honda. So
> what will I end up doing? I'll go down the street and go to some place
> that will let me in. There are more then enough websites out there
> where if they won't let me in with my browser of choice I'll move on
> to something similar.
>
> You cannot discriminate on personal preference or browser loyalty. As
> much as I would like to kick IE and everything that comes from it to
> the curb, I can't. To many people use it, while Firefox has made great
> inroads into taking some of that market share away, IE is here to
> stay.
>
>
> > "You are viewing this site in a non standards-compliant browser.   
> Please
> > install a standards compliant browser to continue" and link to  
> FF, Safari,
> > Opera (ugh...), etc...
>
> Don't forget to include IE7 in there heh...
>
>
> > If just a handfull of the biggest sites do it, MS's hand will be
> > forced...and they might actually get it right.
>
> Firefox, Opera and Safari already have with taking the market share
> from an old browser.
>
>
> Andrew
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>
>
>
> -- 
> Joshua McDonald
> Grow Interactive
> www.thisisgrow.com
> 757-248-5274
> 757-248-5275 (f)
> _______________________________________________
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Ryan Brunsvold
UI Developer
For Rent Media Solutions
757.351.7883
ryan.brunsvold at forrent.com



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