- From: Kynn Bartlett <kynn-edapta@idyllmtn.com>
- Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 08:58:06 -0700
- To: "Tom Gregg" <animefusion3@hotmail.com>
- Cc: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
At 07:46 AM 7/5/2001 , Tom Gregg wrote: >Here's my question: >In trying to meeting accessibility guidelines for multiple users, do most sites use a single site version or create multiple versions of the site? Most sites create a single version. However, if you're using Clever Software [*] to run your web site and manage your content, it may be easy to produce multiple versions optimized for your users' specific needs. If you're already yanking content out of a database and dynamically assembling the thing, then you're already on your way to that kind of scenario. If you aren't, then I would state this very clearly: NEVER TRY TO MAINTAIN TWO OR MORE VERSIONS OF THE SAME CONTENT MANUALLY. It makes absolutely no sense to have manually maintained parallel sites -- because this system will BREAK and be TOO MUCH WORK and you will have problems. If you find a need for multiple user interfaces, then it is time to upgrade your web services (and probably your content management system) -- the cheapest solution is to get something like Apache + PHP + PostgreSQL, and start using that to bang out alternate UIs based on explicit user choice. If that's not an option for you (and, by the way, it SHOULD be; the idea of a huge site full of static pages is a VERY dated concept and living in 1993 is not good for you, long-term), then you should stick with one version of the site and make it as broadly accessible as possible for a one-size-fits-all design. --Kynn [*] Clever Software: Without sounding like a walking, talking ad for my employer every time I open my fool mouth, Reef is one of the companies which makes Clever Software for doing dynamic creation and transformation of the web user interface. -- Kynn Bartlett <kynn@reef.com> Technical Developer Liaison Reef North America Accessibility - W3C - Integrator Network Tel +1 949-567-7006 ________________________________________ BUSINESS IS DYNAMIC. TAKE CONTROL. ________________________________________ http://www.reef.com
Received on Thursday, 5 July 2001 12:01:41 UTC