On 8 Oct 98, Peter J. Schoenster wrote:
> I argue that you should neither assume a browser nor enforce a
> browser on an intranet. I argue that you design for open standards.
Yes, I think it's still desirable regardless of how many users on an intranet
use AcmeBrowser 3.5, or whatever...
I'm working on two intranet sites right now for the feds, and this issue has
come up each time.
The one site is straightforward: a bunch of departmental reference
manuals being put online, used only by a group of about 100 people in one
small branch. They all use *exactly* the same browser (NS 4.05), OS and
even hardware, so I can tailor certain things to that specific configuration.
All this really means in practice, though, is that I can omit various chunks
of "cross-browser" Javascript code. I can also make extensive use of
stylesheets, which are portable among 4.x browsers anyway (with some
irritating exceptions.)
The other is more elaborate, with about 2,000 users and a wide variety of
material. Initially the client assured me that I should design exclusively for
NS 4.x, which the entire department is standardized on; but I saw some
immediate problems with that.
For one thing, they have plans for an eventual extranet component, linked
to parts of the intranet; in which case they obviously will have no control
over what browsers members of the public will be using. So I didn't really
see the point of coding hundreds of pages to one standard, only to have
to "cross-platformize" some of them later.
I also asked if staff members would ever need access to the intranet while
on the road: "Yep". "Do you control what browsers they install on their
laptops?" "Er... not always. Some staff take their personal machines on
the road, and may not have Netscape." "So if I use NS-exclusive features
these staff could be locked out of the intranet?" "Er... yeah."
(I also noted, jokingly, "And who knows, maybe your IS director will be
canned and some new guy will come in and convince management to
switch to the MS browser." There was an instant chill, and I saw some of
the clients glancing sidelong at each other. "Oops, did I touch a nerve?
Sorry..." Turns out there *is* some tension at the upper levels of
management, and my little scenario was uncomfortably close to one
possible outcome. Sigh. Me and my big mouth :)
Anyway, so I'm coding everything so as to *take advantage* of generic
4.x browser features, but not to utterly *depend* on them. Seems to be
the best compromise.
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Brent Eades, Almonte, Ontario
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Town of Almonte site: http://www.almonte.com/
Business site: http://www.federalweb.com
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