RE: Commercial and Not-For-Profit web site critique request...

[snip]

> It's hard to please the masses... If I design for 640x480 (and scale the
> graphics accordingly), the 1024x768 people don't stay because the graphics
> and text are too small...
> This is why I choose the middle ground of 800x600, and the stats seem to
> bear this out...


I am glad that someone had the kahunas to actually say this! And I agree
entirely.

Almost anyone that is running at 640x480 is either A) unaware of how to
change their screen resolution or B) running a very old VGA only card.

I have gone so far as to add instructions to a few web sites on "How to
adjust your screen resolution and why you would want to..."

That said, while I do work at 800x600 on a 12.1" laptop display (oh the pain
of divorce! Lord, send me back my 17" Sony monitor and my Dell PII-266!!! I
will be good! I promise!) I have found it to be relatively easy to design
sites that degrade (yeah, that's it...they degrade!) to 640x480 resolution
without the dreaded "scroll bars."

How? I use tables. Lot's of 'em. Lot's of "relative" sizing or max sizes set
to values that are viewable under VGA specs.

Still, I push "gently" for viewers to use at least a 3.0 series browser and
800x600 resolution when possible. 1024x768 and higher resolutions are not
yet all that common....especially on a 12.1" laptop screen! (have I moaned
about my Trinitron yet? Oh, yeah...I have!)

Anyway Gil, Bravo!

>
> Gil Tennant
> Webmaster at WebWham
> http://www.webwham.com
>
> Designing fine sites like the Williamsburgh Community Web Site -
> http://www.williamsburgh.org
>
>

Alan S. Atwood


PS

Anyone that would automatically leave a page because they see scroll bars at
640x480 is being a little picky. The web is first and foremost about
"content" and I have to say that some of the best and most useful content
comes from sites that, from a strict design standpoint, are terrible.

Like the oriental favorite "stinky fruit" (yep, there is such a thing!),
it's not the package, it's what's inside that counts.

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