[WEB4LIB] testing web pages- a question

[Sarah Graham]

It depends on what the consequences are in ignoring the population of users
who use those browsers, i.e. how much usability is lost in earlier versions
of Netscape. Your page currently is unusable in Netscape 4.03 because the
text in the right hand column displays over the top of the text in the left
hand column. (I'm using a PC running NT4.0) Not good. If it was a case of
compromising on the aethestics, it would be different matter.

It's hard to imagine a company with a vested interest in selling products,
e.g. Amazon.com, saying "we don't care about the x percent of users who are
using Netscape versions lower than 5." (That's why they use nested tables
galore!)

I don't, personally, under these circumstances, think that we can afford to
alienate ANY percent of our audiences. 

Sarah Graham

-----Original Message-----
From: Drew, Bill
To: Multiple recipients of list
Sent: 8/12/2002 2:28 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] testing web pages- a question

I want to thank everyone for their help in testing my web page.  I have
a
general question aimed at when a page has been tested enough.

I have gotten the page to work in Netscape4.77 and higher, IE5 and
higher,
Mozilla 1.0, Opera 6.04, Kmeleon, and also Lynx.  I am getting input
from
people using really buggy browser versions such as Netscape 4.03 and
older.

Where do I stop and say that is it?  What browser version do I cut off
at?

Wilfred (Bill) Drew
Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
SUNY Morrisville College Library
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