[WEB4LIB] Re: browser differences

[Chris Gray]

Another angle on the to-Flash-or-not-to-Flash issue is lost productivity.  
The impact here on users both directly and indirectly is vastly
under-estimated.  Flash has its uses, but it and many other technologies
for the Web (JavaScript springs to mind) don't always work.  And it costs
when they don't.

Users spend time installing and updating plug-ins and dealing with errors
they don't understand.  Philip Greenspun says that users need to be freed
from the hell of systems administration.

Users are indirectly hurt by all the effort that Web site administrators
have to go through because of the problems introduced by certain
technologies.  First you spend time troubleshooting and problem solving
and the solution worked out just adds more complication that has to be
dealt with on the next problem.  Changing your site to respond to changing
needs is harder.  Extra technology adds extra inertia.

Chris Gray
Systems Analyst
University of Waterloo Library

"Website designers can help improve user confidence by prioritizing
quality and robustness over features and the latest technology."  --Jakob
Nielsen <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20011028.html>