RE: Checkpoint 3.3

At 08:27 PM 7/14/1999 +0100, Alan J. Flavell wrote:
>Where it _does_ risk causing harm is in browsers like MSIE3, where the
>CSS is misinterpreted and can cause serious damage.  Whether this is
>an issue that ought to be allowed to hamper the issue of web
>accessibility is something that could be argued over a beer, but in
>any formal negotiation I'd say the accessibility has to win.  We
>should not pander to those who choose to operate broken software
>(CSS support can and should be turned off by the user in MSIE3).

If I may butt into this discussion, it seems to me that if something
"causes harm", causes the browser to lock up, or worse, the computer to
lock up, it shouldn't be used. Especially if you are talking about that
percentage of users who use MSIE (any version). For myself, any time I hit
a site that locks up my browser and/or system, the site is not revised. No
matter what I was looking for there, it is sure to be elsewhere on the web. 

If style sheets are not properly supported in the major browsers, why are
they considered so important? Sounds like they are accessible with some
browsers, but not with all thereby rendering the pages with style sheets
inaccessible to the users of those browsers. How does that promote
accessibility?

If, as you say, web designers aren't going in the direction of style
sheets, but in the direction of other means of designing a page, perhaps it
would be better to follow the web designers and develop the means to make
pages accessible using WYSIWYG or whatever preferred software the web
authors are cozying up to. It would be better to aid the web designers by
encouraging the WYSIWYG products include accessibility features with
built-in prompts and automation. In my experience: The job goes smoother
when the workman selects his own tools. 


	My two cents worth ....

			Anne








Anne L. Pemberton
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1
http://www.erols.com/stevepem/apembert
apembert@crosslink.net
Enabling Support Foundation
http://www.enabling.org

Received on Wednesday, 14 July 1999 16:41:35 UTC