Re: average surfers [was: Tables vs. Frames]

I believe it depends very much on your target market.  Being in the
educational field, if I wanted to advertise a computer degree then I would
expect the intended audience to cope with frames.  If my target audience is
likely to contain a large number of newbies then I must take this into
account.  Given the current "age" of the WWW, then there are a LOT of
newbies out there.

At 03:21 28/12/97 -0500, Rick wrote:
>I see a lot of writing on this list that suggests that the average
internet user
>doesn't know much of anything about a browser, their operating system, etc. I
>don't agree. I work with many different folks every day who range from
newbies
>to experienced concerning the internet and/or computers. Most newbies
don't know
>diddly squat about either (and neither did I once upon a time), but the
average
>person does have some knowledge of what frames are, how to bookmark, they
know
>that their screen settings can be changed; the reality is that most of them
>don't really care. The computer is a tool for them. In addition, most
>hardware/software is preconfigured when it is sold, the settings it is
>configured with are often the best (or most common) choices for that
particular
>item, so there is seldom a need for the average person to bother changing
their
>screen resolution.

Yes - the internet is a learning curve easily mastered, but that has NO
relation to screen resolution, video-card capacity, colour resolution, etc.

But as you correctly stated "the computer is a tool" that they use.  Many
people can use a tool, but fewer can fix them.  After all - how many people
repair their own TV sets (oh-no! I guess that leads to web-tv :)  

They may become aware of these factors after a time, but often they will
get someone else to correct computer problems for them.  A once only change
makes a VERY STEEP learning curve.

BTW all computers with Windows 3.x have 16 colour mode installed by default
regardless of hardware capability.

>Computers and the internet have a learning curve, the more that folks use
them,
>the more they learn. So either some of you spend most of your time with
newbies
>or really stupid people who are incapable of learning from personal
experience
>or a little snobbery is clouding your judgment. 

Snobbery - no, I'm just used to dealing with real world people who (unlike
us ;) don't live on the internet.  

>(or perhaps you have little
>experience with other users and are just guessing)

Regular contact with new users, and often called in to "help" solve
computer problems about a year later when they realise something can be
improved, but don't quite know how, or to set up software for those who
have just bought a new computer.  The average age of various groups has
varied from 20 to 65 (yes- those figures were group averages, not total
ranges).

>Not pickin' on anyone, just a few examples I saw:
No offence taken ;)

>> Most regular surfers don't know what frames are, let along how to click
in one
>> and hit a right mouse button to bookmark.
>
>> Yes - you can! But the majority of users CANNOT!!  Newbies (and their
>> numbers increase each day) and some of the not-so-new DO NOT UNDERSTAND the
>> difference between frames/tables/straight text.  They see a SCREEN and want
>> to return to it.

<grin> that last one looks familiar!

Just MHO.  As for page design, I think the answer is: know your target market!
For general information - assume the public are morons
For more specialised info - assume a moderate degree of understanding
for technical subjects - assume a computer-literate audience


Chris Higgs <c.higgs(at)landfood.unimelb.edu.au>
Lecturer, Gilbert Chandler College, 
Institute of Land and Food Resources,  University of Melbourne
Phone 61-3-9741-8000;  Fax 61-3-9741-9396;  
Videoconference:  61-3-9216-7330, 61-3-9216-7331 (128 kbs ISDN)
http://ariel.unimelb.edu.au/~gilbert

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