(unknown charset) the fray

Recently I mentioned in a post to this list that the site
http://fray.com was not accessible. I was called to task on
this today by Derek Powazek who informed me that the fray
site was quite accessible. I stand corrected.

I mentioned the fray because some time ago they had a
version of the site (it changes frequently) in which you
slid open a resizable frame to enter, like opening a door.
Quite clever, I think. My point was that that sort of thing
is hard to duplicate in a non-visual way. But I admit that
at the time I did not check with Lynx or any other
non-visual browser to see to what degree it was accessible.
In the midst of making a point, I simply grabbed the first
site to come to mind. I should have been more careful in my
selection.

A recent visit to the fray using Lynx showed that it is
actually very accessible, at least in terms of the code. In
other respects, it is laid out in a clever and somewhat
abstruse way that makes it a bit of a mystery. In fact, I
was amused to find that when I went back with MSIE5, I found
it harder to get around with all the graphic distractions.
Each link becomes a sort of gift: you don't really know what
it is until you open it.

All in all the fray is a fascinating site, and I am doubly
impressed now that I see the extent to which its designers
have gone to make it accessible too. I apologize for my
haste in using it as an example and encourage any who are
interested to check it out. It's not for everyone, but it is
a thoughtful, witty, and often fascinating example of what
can be done in the on-line medium.

Charles Munat
Puerto Vallarta

Received on Thursday, 14 January 1999 05:40:14 UTC