Re: [WAI-IG] Serving my page in the right language

On Sun, 2004-03-21 at 11:55, Paul Davis wrote:
> "The number of people visiting sites that are available in multiple
> languages is tiny?"
> 
> Not saying overall visitor levels are low, just people who would be unable
> to navigate the site and expeience the problems highlighted are miniscule,
> and those who are effected are possibly of a paranoid nature, not visually
> challenged. Therefore their ability to navigate the site is not in question,
> just their mental state. However, the number of color blind and low vision
> visitors would be far greater, yet this simple and obvious flaw was not
> mentioned. It was the more sophisticated stuff that drew the attention.

The discussion was about the selection between versions of a site
available in multiple languages. While other issues are important, they
are best discussed separately as they do not (in my opinion) have any
special significance when looked at in this context.

> "You are missing that a complete critique of the site isn't needed in
> order to point out that the authors of the site are unlikely to have the
> technical knowledge to implement language negotiation."
> 
> I fail to see how bemoaning the lack of other's skills on this list promotes
> accessibility

Who was bemoaning? I was simply observing that the argument "But foo
doesn't do it that way" doesn't hold much water given the evidence that
foo is not an expert in the subject matter.

> , why are you not attempting to change things from within the
> organization? An email suggesting your recommondations with the suggested
> coding to the webmaster may be of more direct and constructive help, if a
> bit revoluionary granted. A fifth columnist may be more effective in these
> cases.

I could spend my life doing free accessibility analysis of websites and
still only cover a small proportion of the web, however you seem to have
missed my point entirely, which was that we shouldn't take our lead from
people less well versed in the technology then ourselves.

> There is a mistake of falling in love with the technical side of coding and
> not the original objective of making the internaet accessible to the masses,
> no matter their disability or even the lack of one!!!! (digital divide wise)

Strawman.

-- 
David Dorward                                 <http://dorward.me.uk/>

Received on Sunday, 21 March 2004 07:27:00 UTC