> -----Original Message----- > From: Dave Watts [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 9:18 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: RE: SOT: Browser Stats (stirring the pot) > > > Drat, this is coming from a non-techy site (a real estate site) > > for November and it seems the masses still haven't gotten it. > > > > 10302: 91.48%: MSIE > > ... > > 142: 1.26%: Mozilla ... > > What makes you think the masses will ever get it? Most people don't just > download and install software, period. (Not counting all the ActiveX junk > that people install without knowing what they're doing.) I use Mozilla and > like it, but even most developers I know still use IE because that's > what's > on their computer.
I wonder what "it" is? People, general everyday people, will indeed install software on their computer. However they will do it for completely different reasons than technical people. Ask yourself (not you, specifically, Dave) why you like Mozilla? When I here comments from developers the answers are convincing to me (another developer): better standards support, more core development activity, better security and so forth. These are not (with the possible exception of security) compelling reasons for the general population. There is definitely an ignorance factor at work; but I believe that the core value there is not that people are unwilling or unable to obtain/install new software. Rather, and much more simply, the software they have does everything they need. People aren't staying with IE just because it's already on the computer (although that is, of course, a big factor). People stay with IE because it does everything they want it to do. For most people none of the open source alternatives give them enough reason to upgrade. Furthermore the current crop of Open Source software is simply not as usable, not as polished and not as friendly. This matters to general users much more than technical prowess or standards compliance. Why would somebody (somebody who doesn't understand the technology involved) switch to something hard to use and uglier to boot? I think several things are at work here: 1) There's a general lack of interface and usability quality amongst open-source alternatives. While technically excellent most people don't care: the products are not easier to use (and in most cases are harder). 2) There's a general stagnation in the space. The web really reached its peak several years ago (perhaps as many as five years ago). The original browser wars were fought on features because there were features to add: formatting, presentation, multimedia, control, etc. For many years improvements have been incremental and unexciting at best. A new browser won't fix what's wrong with the web. A new platform won't magically make better websites. The vast majority of professional websites are poorly designed, hard to use and cumbersome. Getting a new browser won't make it easier to book airline tickets or buy Christmas presents online. I'm not sure what the answers are, but blaming "the masses" for missing something definitely isn't it. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:186238 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
