[WEB4LIB] RE: Netscape 6

[Edward Spodick, HKUST Library, 2358-6743]

Well, it was interesting trying out Netscape 6.  The most frustrating part was trying to fill out a problem report in their feedback center - I juts kept getting server errors.  Same result trying to submit the report to their suggestions form.  Finally sent it to the more generic comment form for earler browser versions.  

Anyway, I thought I would share this with you, in case any of you are in a similar situation.  It's very interesting - the browser becomes unusable in certain environments because it is too smart:

It is not possible to display Chinese characters under the following conditions:
1 - The page has a META tag with charset=big5
    (This identifies the content as being in Traditional Chinese encoding.)
2 - The operating system is English Windows 98
3 - The Chinese enabling software is RichWin 97
4 - No Chinese fonts are installed in the system.

An example page is http://library.ust.hk/info/databases/News/

Chinese characters *will* display fine for any page which does *not* have the META tag (e.g. http://ustlib.ust.hk/search*chi/) if the 'Western' encoding is specified - RichWin handles the display fine.

The program is extremely 'smart', knowing that I do not have a Chinese font (nor do most of our users) - but instead of displaying the 'garbage' which RichWin could then intercept and display correctly as Chinese, it is filtered out and all Chinese is gone.

This would prevent us from using this software in our campus computing environment.

Sincerely,

Edward Spodick

- - - - -
Edward F Spodick, Systems Librarian - lbspodic at ust.hk
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Library
tel:  852-2358-6743     fax:  852-2358-1043