[Web4lib] Gracefully degrades to..?

[K.G. Schneider]

> > I am already specifying validates to a published standard with a
> minimum for
> > that, as well, but I wanted to add a browser statement.
> 
> First, I would be specific about which published standard you want, for
> example "all web pages must validate to HTML 4.01 Transitional", or
> whatever version of HTML you've chosen.

Fully agree; though that's been well taken care of. (I also specified what
we meant by "accessible," after an experience with a vendor for whom
accessibility meant they said it was accessible.)

> If you must list browsers, I would list Internet Explorer 6.0, FireFox
> 1.5, and either Safari 1.4 (or whatever is the most recent version
> shipping with OS X 10.4) or Lynx 2.8.5.  But probably not both Safari
> and Lynx.  Although, if specify an HTML standard and only list IE and
> FireFox, you've probably covered the other two.

As Robert Sullivan correctly guessed (and as I should have articulated), I'm
doing this for our developers, and it's not part of the initial selection
process for the search software (which was excruciatingly rigorous) but as
part of a requested guidance document for implementing a particular piece of
software. Like at what point do I say, "Look, don't worry about supporting
it--let's spend our pennies elsewhere." 

Rich kind of hit on where I was going, as well, with his Netscape 4.X
comment. I actually wasn't planning to make a public statement, except
possibly in the help documents. Though I started to ponder if it would be
interesting to have a page that returned when someone tried to search us
with a very old browser... then again, all things considered, there are a
few features I'd rather have before that. 

Thanks!

Karen G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com