RE: What's Happening on: http://www.fathom.com/index.html

For the life of me, I can't figure out what this site is suppose to do!  I
am guessing your colleagues like the mouse-over effect (Lynx compatible,
quite by accident I am sure), but the submit button doesn't seem to do
anything, except generate a page with the message "Thank you for your
interest in Fathom.  We'll keep you up to date."  I got similar results with
Lynx and IE.  Foolishly, I used my actual real email address, which I will
no doubt soon regret.  Oh goody, more spam.  I will think of you Kelly!
I'll describe the Fathom homepage by way of Lynx and IE.  I have not looked
closely at the raw code, except to tell that it is a mess).

2 unlabeled [INLINE] graphics.  Not sure what they are, probably spacer
.GIFs.
5 unlabeled [LINK]s. First should be labeled "KNOW MORE", then "What is
Fathom ?", then "Who are you ?", then "Who are we ?", then "What's on Fathom
?".  These last four links don't actually do anything (in IE or Lynx) but
are onMouseOver targets.
Logo / header / Fathom (three lines).  "Logo" marks the spot where the
onMouseOver text appears.  With IE, this box actually appears below the
submit button and related fields.  To be honest, I am not sure where
"header" and "Fathom" come from.
Unlabeled text entry field (should be "Enter your e-mail address") followed
by [IMAGE]-submit link (should be labeled "SEND", works in Lynx).
Unlabeled check box (should be labeled  "Click here to be a Beta tester:").
Drop down combo box (should be labeled "Tell us your favorite subject:"
N.B. with Lynx you now have to reverse direction to get to the submit
button!
Text content from onMouseOver area follows (three screens worth with Lynx).
Textual links (accessible of course) to [6]Columbia University, [7]London,
etc..., to [13] email.
Some other unlabeled [INLINE] graphic, also probably a spacer .gif.

I am not sure what the instructors are so enthralled about.  With a little
ALT text and table cell contents linearlization (should be a P1), the page
would be perfectly accessible.  But, like I said, the site (at this point)
seems to be completely without actual function!

Cheers,
Bruce Bailey


> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
> Behalf Of Kelly Ford
> Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2000 2:39 PM
> To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> Subject: Re: What's Happening on: http://www.fathom.com/index.html
>
>
> I can find the send button with out the label but at least for me picking
> that doesn't allow me to send in the entry in the combo box.
>
> This site was given to me this morning as an example of how some
> instructors want the web site at the college where I work to function.
> They claim that whatever is popping up makes it easy to use.

Received on Thursday, 6 April 2000 15:48:43 UTC