[WEB4LIB] Re: resolution

[David Merchant]

A word about feedback on web sites.  Most people don't.  Even with an
obvious mechanism to respond they don't, but if you don't have an obvious
mechanism (like only having a small email address at the botton, no
feedback page, etc), then chances of them responding is even less.  What
most users will do is complain to themselves, or to a friend, and, if they
need to use the site, use it but not be happy, or, if they don't need to
use the site, move on and find another site or other way to get their
information.  If they have problems accessing the web page or using it from
home, they will come to the labs or library to use it, but won't say
anything.  I've discovered complaints only by saying "here's how it works
here, but I know that the page has some problems for home users" and I'll
get some "I have no problems" but I'll also get "yes, I have problems."
And if I talk to them sympathetically (and don't let them know that I have
direct control over such and such a page) and ask them what the problems
are, they'll confide.  But otherwise, I would never have known.  So just
because no one complains doesn't mean there aren't any (or even many)
problems.  There are so many bad web pages out there that most surfers
don't want to spend the time complaining to the webmasters, because they
would be doing it all the time.  I know I don't complain to every site I
visit that crashes my browser or is unreadable or difficult to read or has
other bothersome problems, I just don't have the time.  We put up with bad
pages because we feel resigned to do so.  And just because no one complains
doesn't mean you don't have the responsibility to find out if there are any
problems (test, test, test on different browsers and different platfroms,
and test again).  Unless you are creating a page that you don't care or
need the general public to be able to visit, that you can afford to
restrict access to only those who have the exact version of
browser/monitor/platform combination.  Again, I realize that it is very
time consuming to create a professional, cross-platform web page.  I know I
have some web pages I have not been able to work on in about a year that
need some strong re-vamping to make them work better (For instance, having
got WebTV, I've been shocked at how bad some decent looking pages can look
on the WebTV).

TTFN,
David
Systems Librarian, Louisiana Tech University  <www.latech.edu/tech/library/>
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