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Thread: How to create an ALL users friendly site ?

  1. #1

    How to create an ALL users friendly site ?

    Does anyone know how to do that ? I've had some complaints from Mac users that the site didn't show well on their pc's....now i know how to adjust for different browser types, i know how to automatically detect resolutions, but i have no idea what i can do to make the site "adjust" to Mac users ....

  2. #2
    AO French Antique News Whore
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    Resolution can be fix by using width="100%" for a width of 100%. This way, the width is 100% the screeen resolution. For the rest, you just need to test your site in a few resolution yourself.
    -Simon \"SDK\"

  3. #3
    This probably wont fix your resolution, but will definetly be useful as you continue with web development. It's sortof like a debugger for compatibility.

    http://validator.w3.org/

  4. #4
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    I will be brutally frank/blunt/damn rude......

    Politely suggest that as they buy these expensive, exotic, and not that popular pieces of equipment, they are in the best position to find the answer and tell you?

    After all If I own Schipol Airport, I know where it is...........if the pilot of an incoming 757 doesn't...........that really is his problem, not mine?

    Don't chase errors........you will end up going round in ever decreasing circles........chose a straight line........and stick to it.....

    If you are managing a website you have to think and behave like a software supplier or ISP, otherwise I am afraid you will have to change their nappies (diapers) every four hours?

    I know that sounds harsh and unfeeling..............it is your job to support the majority?

    I am assuming that you only have a minority of mac users?

    Good Luck

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    Post

    I disagree with nihil. I don't think that you should write your web pages only for majority. Of course you should do this if you have to choose between site working for majority and site working for minority. But you don't have to:].

    You should simply obey the rules and standarts of w3.org. I mean - write your pages in xhtml and for design use css. And validate your sites. Don't be afraid of xhtml - it's just reformulated html. Every new browser will show your pages as you want to. (yes, there are some mistakes in IE, Opera, everywhere but these mistakes are already known so you can find solution for this mistakes on the internet). And the older browsers that are not familiar with css can be simply directed to text version or somthing like that.

    But using xhtml + css instead has more advantages. For example you can do other version of your site for print, other for screen and other for small devices as pda. You just simply make other css... Other advantage is that change something on your site is easier if you use css than changing table designed site. So after all - if you spend a little time to learn the basics of css formating, correct syntax of xhtml etc. the result will be web page readable on almost all platforms and easier maintanace of this page for you.
    http://promote.opera.com/small/opera94x15.gif

    [gloworange]Sun7dots[/gloworange]

  6. #6
    AO French Antique News Whore
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    And the older browsers that are not familiar with css can be simply directed to text version or somthing like that.
    I disagree! Don't bother doing a webpage for old browser! The % of peoples surfing with a browser that do not support XHTML and CSS is soo low that it's a waste of time. But I agree that following XHTML recommendation of W3.org is a very good start.
    -Simon \"SDK\"

  7. #7
    alright, thank you guys very much

    for the moment i'm using shtml, some dhtml combined with css....guess i'll have to bend my head over xhtml then

    In case some of you are interested in the site in question,

    http://WWW.armageddon-products.com

    Any comments or advice are welcome

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    From my recent experience in building the site in my profile (seems to be an un-ending cycle of getting something to work and look decent and then getting told that something else needs to be included or something that is up needs to be changed...), it seems to me that the only fault current Mac browsers have are that they follow the standards a little too closely.

    All my problems have stemmed from the fact that when I write my code on my PowerBook and use Safari to check the changes (Apache2 and mySQL running a local mirror of the site makes life wonderful) and then upload the commit the changes to the site, I then have to spend a while ssh'd into the webserver mucking around in the CSS page with vi trying to fix the non-standard block model in IE or my most recent endeavour was working around IE6's background image flickering (I almost had seizures looking at my navigation menu).

    I'm not as advanced as XHTML, my site is in HTML 4.01 Transitional with external CSS sheets, but once I get underway with the restructuring of my PHP code I'm going to start moving all the html to xhtml.

    I noticed that your site has a lot of javascript, I think that might be the source of a lot of your cross-compatibilty issues. I steer clear of javascript because as far as I know, it isn't much for standards, I've seen scripts that half the code is dealing with different browsers, that doesn't interest me at all.

    Enough of my babble,
    Dhej
    The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk. -Hegel

  9. #9
    AO Curmudgeon rcgreen's Avatar
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    I came in to the world with nothing. I still have most of it.

  10. #10
    I havent posted here in a while, but I really felt I needed to this time. I am suprised there havent been more people recommending the use of css. Following the rules of the true css/xhtml standard will provide the maximum possible usability for any browser. Sure there are certain quirks, but they have been due to a lack of support or bugs in certain browsers, specifically 4.0 browsers. But there are ways to fix these problems and still stay in the standards of css.

    Css even provides usabilty to the disabled. By seperating design/layout from content, your website will provide mazimum usabilty. If a certain browser cannot support something on your website, it will just show what it is in plain text (provided you wrote your code properly). Try having that happen without css and you will get the content still, but it will have al the code and tags mysteriously wrapped around it.

    If you are looking for a good read, check this one out. It is the best book I have read in a long while, and has created a following. Designing with Web Standards
    severe limitation

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