Is a source for average browser statistics?

by "Louise Dade" <louise.dade(at)ntlworld.com>

 Date:  Mon, 30 Apr 2001 11:57:53 +0100
 To:  "HWG Techniques" <hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org>
  todo: View Thread, Original
Hello Techniques List,

I've been lurking on this list for a while now, and finally have a question
which I feel I need to address to the list because I have not previously
been able to find an answer.  I tried using the HWG archive search, but it
did not produce the desired results.

I have recently taken on the job of assessing a wesite and writing a report
on it for technical and usability features.  What I would like to know is if
there is a generally recognised, validated and verifiable source for web
trends which go beyond just a single site's statistics? (I remember the
discussion of "Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics" last year, but no resources
for obtaining that information were actually put forward).

Ideally, I need to know the following information:

* Browser type
* Platform
* Screen resolution
* Images on/off
* JavaScript enabled/disabled
* Java enabled/disabled
* Flash plugin installed/absent

Also, does anybody know which browser (apart from text-only like Lynx) are
_not_ able to view frames (I am going to recommend getting shot of the
frames anyway, but it would be nice with data to back it up).

You can view the site (yes, it's already gone live!) and I would welcome any
suggestions.
http://www.thegreengecko.com/
There are many things wrong with it (lack of alt tags in the navigaton bar
for a start, not to mention the graphics used in place of a text block --
try navigating with Lynx, or images turned off), but at least the people who
own the company have the foresight and care enough to get the site assessed!

On another note, I see they are using a highly complex image swap code --
called:
function MM_swapImg() -- which much more complex than one I've ever used
before.  I wondered if it was a Dreamweaver code?  You can see it in the
left-hand frame.  I suspect their in-house designer used Dreamweaver, and
used it on a monitor which is wider than 800x600 (the size of my monitor -
and the content frame STILL scrolls horizontally!).  Another reason I
susepct this is because they have used the dead simple CSS code for changing
the colur of links on mouseOver, is actually copyrighted by dynamic drive -
in other words it's a cut and paste, or a "Press button to insert" job.

--- the code (dots added by me to stop the prcessing of HTML ---

<.!-onMouseover Link CSS Script-� Dynamic Drive (www.dynamicdrive.com). For
full source code, installation instructions, 100's more DHTML scripts, and
Terms Of Use, visit dynamicdrive.com-->
<.style><.!--a:hover{color:#FFD235; }--><./style>

---------------------------------------------------------------------

But surely the colour change CSS shouldn't be _copyrighted_, it would be
like me copyrighting the <.B><./B> code! The copyright is longer than the
code too - adding to the download size!

I appreciate any help you can provide.  I am on the digest mode of
Techniques, so if you could CC any response to me, I would be grateful.

Louise Dade
================================
www.classical-webdesigns.co.uk
www.classical-webdesigns.co.uk/falco/ - the Roman sleuth!
www.qmt.org.uk - The Queen Mother Theatre

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