Re: Pentium III-only sites coming

Brian,

I don't want to dismiss out of hand the idea of content-negotiation and
capability negotiation as a way to improve network performance. I am just
concerned by the more common use of it, which is to send out a page
aasying "Your browser can't handle this site. Get a better browser." The
development of P-3 only sites is an example of this. Negotiating
capabilities to send a cut-down version of an image to small-screen
devices, for example, can reduce needless bandwidth load. This is good for
accessibility, although it also raises accessiblity concerns (the problem
arises when IE does the content and capability negotiation, unaware of the
fact that the user has a screen reader which changes the whole profile).

Charles McCathieNevile

On Thu, 4 Mar 1999, Brian Kelly wrote:

  I have to disagree (with the instant dismissal of use of the Pentium III
  unique ID.)  Machine-understandable definitions of client capabilities is a
  good thing.  Unfortunately transparent content negotiation hasn't really
  taken off (although the W3C website does use TCN for sending PNG to
  PNG-conformant browsers, otherwise it sends GIF).   With the grown in
  network-aware PDAs, mobile phones, etc, there is renewed interest in
  protocol solutions - as an example see the "Composite Capability/Preference
  Profiles (CC/PP): A user side framework for content negotiation" Note at
  <URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-CCPP  >
  
  I would argue that the accessibility community should be lobbying for such
  developments to take their needs into consideration (and I think you have
  much to gain) rather than dismissing it out of hand.
  
  Brian
  
  ------------------------------------------------------
  Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus
  UKOLN, University of Bath, BATH, England, BA2 7AY
  Email:  b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk     URL:    http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
  Homepage: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ukoln/staff/b.kelly.html
  Phone:  01225 323943            FAX:   01225 826838
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Charles McCathieNevile <charles@w3.org>
  To: Kynn Bartlett <kynn-hwg@idyllmtn.com>
  Cc: WAI <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
  Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 1999 3:06 PM
  Subject: Re: Pentium III-only sites coming
  
  
  >Well, I guess that's another black mark in Australia's copybook. Hopefully
  >we do more good than bad though (smile).
  >
  >Whether the idea dies the death it probably deserves, or expands into the
  >nightmare that people seem to fear, depends on how many people buy Pentium
  >3 machines, and whether they then play in teh sites or just write comments
  >saying they wished the money had been psent making their computer cheaper
  >instead. (and leave the site alone. Unfortunately I haven't worked out how
  >to have my cake and eat it. Yet.)
  >
  >Oh well. Interoperability won't be built in a day. (Although I sometimes
  >wonder whether a bit more thinking would have eant that it could...)
  >
  >cheers
  >
  >Charles
  >
  >On Tue, 2 Mar 1999, Kynn Bartlett wrote:
  >
  >  At 01:30 p.m. 03/02/99 EST, Lovey@aol.com wrote:
  >  >Please note the following article I was sent today.
  >  >Pentium III-only sites coming
  >  >By DAVID FLYNN | INTEL is working with several Australian content
  providers to
  >  >establish Web sites that are not only optimised for PCs based on the
  Pentium
  >  >III processor but restricted to Pentium III machines.
  >
  >  Sounds like a really dopey idea.  About as dopey as the identity
  >  tracking on Pentium IIIs.  I predict that this idea is dopey enough
  >  that it will die just from being dopey once the Pentium III marketing
  >  rush is over.
  >
  >  You know, using the same technology I suppose one could always
  >  EXCLUDE Pentium IIIs as a way of protest.
  >
  >  --
  >  Kynn Bartlett <kynn@hwg.org>
  >  President, Governing Board Member
  >  HTML Writers Guild <URL:http://www.hwg.org>
  >
  >
  >--Charles McCathieNevile            mailto:charles@w3.org
  >phone: +1 617 258 0992   http://purl.oclc.org/net/charles
  >W3C Web Accessibility Initiative    http://www.w3.org/WAI
  >MIT/LCS  -  545 Technology sq., Cambridge MA, 02139,  USA
  >
  >
  

--Charles McCathieNevile            mailto:charles@w3.org
phone: +1 617 258 0992   http://purl.oclc.org/net/charles
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative    http://www.w3.org/WAI
MIT/LCS  -  545 Technology sq., Cambridge MA, 02139,  USA

Received on Thursday, 4 March 1999 08:17:34 UTC