[WEB4LIB] Re: MouseOvers menus

[Bailey, Katrina]

Or, if you like, just pick one or the other. One type of user will get the
mouseovers, no one else will. Will their absence seriously affect
navigation? It didn't when I tried it out. But then, as Thomas points out,
if their absence isn't missed, then why are they there? (I know, it's neat,
it works, and it's mostly useful).

Our IT department specifies not only which products we use, but also  which
versions they currently support. If you run something else, you can, but
they won't support it (official line - if they have the time, they are good
about working with you). I'm not saying librarians should become oblivious
to user support, but sometimes it comes down to a cost-benefit analysis:
what will support the most users in the most efficient way? 

Katrina Bailey
Serials/Online Services Librarian
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
kbailey at umhb.edu <mailto:kbailey at umhb.edu> 
254-295-5011

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Thomas Dowling [SMTP:tdowling at ohiolink.edu]
	Sent:	Monday, April 03, 2000 3:30 PM
	To:	Multiple recipients of list
	Subject:	[WEB4LIB] Re: MouseOvers menus

	> Hello gang,
	>
	> I am reaching my wits ends with my MouseOver bid.
	>
	> I am trying to pull up a simple menu using MouseOvers.  I can get
it to
	> work in Internet Explorer OR Netscape, but not both.
	>
	> I think the bloody problems has to do with syntax.
	>
	> Microsoft wants the format
...document.all.first.style.visibility...
	> My test page is <http://www.alvernia.edu/home5.htm>
	>
	> Netscape wants the format ...document.first.visibility...
	> My test page is <http://www.alvernia.edu/home3.htm>


	Which version works in Mozilla?  Opera?  When I come to your page
with
	JavaScript disabled, are you going to do something friendlier than
say,
	"Java script is running! Perhaps your browers is not set up to read
it"?

	What design goal are the mouseovers intended to meet, and what
drawbacks
	are you willing to impose on how many of your users to meet those
goals?

	> Does anyone know a "work-around" for this problem?

	With answers to the questions above, work-arounds may present
themselves.
	The one I incline toward is dropping the idea of navigating the site
via
	mouseovers and dropdown menus.  Otherwise, gear up for some serious
	browser sniffing with a *lot* of attention paid to your <NOSCRIPT>
	elements and graceful degradation.


	Thomas Dowling
	OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
	tdowling at ohiolink.edu