Re: The need to please....

Hello Simon and everyone,

>With respect to #2, there is in my view far too much debate surrounding the
>"need" to design a site to be "correctly viewed" by any and ALL of Earth's
>inhabitants.

I disagree.  How can there be too much debate over a topic that is very
relevant to Web Design and HTML authoring.  Obviously, condsidering the
variety of OS's, Browsers and Hardware Combinations we won't be able to
design sites that can be 'correctly viewed' by 'everyone'. However we can
get rather close. And speaking for myself, getting close is what I intend
to do.  I'm designing my library's website and I feel, as does my Director,
that the site should be as accessible as possible in regards to cross
browser access, text-only availability, easy to read/navigate pages, etc.
We are providing information to our community and it needs to be as
informative and efficient as possible.

>I'm sure most of you as list subscribers have all at one time or another
>agonized over the level of effort required to ensure "universal access"
>regardless of the browser and PC equipment being used throughout the World.  
>
>I'd be the first to agree, that there does appear to be a pervasive myth
>circulating that basically states "That as a site designer you have to
>design to please everyone" ... well folks, sorry if I offend a few readers
>... but this is total CRAP!   

No offense taken.  However I have never heard/read any rules stating that
the designer HAS to please 'everyone'. But I have heard/read/decided that
it is good technique to make the information on one's site as accessible to
as many people as possible.  Attempting to provide universal access is just
'good policy'.  

>First off, let me state that it is probably pretty safe to say that not
>everyone in the World is going to visit your site (or your client's sites
>for that matter), so when designing a site I feel it is important to design
>for the intended audience first and foremost and simply forget the rest. 

Designing for a target audience is fine, but "simply forgetting the rest"
is not.  "the rest" of those people might enjoy accessing your site if a
little more effort was made to make it worth their while and your site
would enjoy more traffic and the feedback from all the people who visited.
For my library's site our target audience is as many people as we can
persuade to visit.  I'm of the philosophy that 'simple' is better.  True, I
enjoy the flashy sites too, but there are some aspects of site design that
can be withheld in order to provide as much access as posible.  I feel that
basic sites with the basic HTML capabilities, (to list a few) images,
tables, appropriate color combinations, and ALT tags; in combination with
good layout design can produce elegant, easy to navigate and easy to access
sites that the majority of surfers can use.

>Granted, not every ones computer equipment is the same, but let's face
>reality, unless your Microsoft or Netscape not everyone is in your
>particular target market anyway, so, rather than spending insane quantities
>of time attempting to please everyone which incidentally is futile at best,
>I suggest you design strictly for the intended audience you are trying to
>reach. 
>
>If the Martians on planet Xytox can't view your site ... don't lose any
>sleep over it ... after all, contrary to popular belief, not everyone in
>the World is going to be visiting your site anyway.   So design for those
>who are likely to visit and not for those that won't.
>
>I guarantee you'll sleep better.:)

>Simon Rolfe, Senior Partner
>Creative Genius Communications 

It is true that 'not everyone in the world is going to be visiting your
site', but a designer should consider that the 'Martians on planet Xytox'
might WANT to see whatever site is in question and if you don't at least 
make the effort to make it accessible than there are two losers in the
deal, the Martians for going away unsatisfied and the designer for not
making the extra effort needed to make the site 'as accessible as possible.
 This is just my two cents.

Sincerely,

Courtney Carter
Technology Coordinator
115 Chestnut - P.O. Box 575
Osceola, MO 64776
417-646-2214
417-646-8043 FAX
jgf001(at)mail.connect.more.net

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