The real reason animated GIFs are a bad idea

[Cameron Parish]

On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Michael S. Wilde wrote:

> Instead of using this incorrect analogy about "wheelchair access" in
> reference to animated gifs, why not ask the browser companies to create an
> option that allows you to turn off animation?...

Perhaps you are right, and my analogy was incorrect.  Sorry if I offended
anyone.  But I wasn't kidding; I really find it difficult or impossible to
read a page with animated gifs, especially the ones that float across the
page.  It's just a plain old biochemical trait.  My workaround is to
browse with Lynx, but of course that carries its own problems.

As for asking the browser companies for *anything*.... well, as someone
here said, I won't even mention style sheets.  On the other hand, if
anyone out there has run across a browser that disallows animation and
runs on Linux, I'd love to hear about it.
 
> I've got a scrolling java applet on our library's page.  You can turn off
> the java in Netscape or IE...

And a very nice page it is, too.  I have no beef with java.

Good grief, I'm not going to bring in Jack-Booted Thugs waving the
Americans With Disabilities Act to smash the computers of anyone using
animated gifs.  But I do think that web authors at public institutions
such as libraries do well to consider the needs of many different
kinds of users.

cheers,
Cam Parish
cameron at serv.net