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Posted by Vince Morgan on 12/14/06 02:32
"fullposter" <fullposter@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1166047760.007742.61600@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> [not native english speaker speaking, ok? - i posted also to another
> group being unsure whether html.critics was more appropriate and yet
> less read than this - so 2 posts on the whole]
>
> Although it may appear speculative, and although i do not put any
> particular trust in newsgroups (meaning that most of the times the
> quality is not very high, but of course one goes for the few good posts
> that may be there), I have a topic that maybe could be of some relative
> interest.
>
> Let's make this short review. Some extremely popular websites - which I
> know because I _use_ them, so if I do I can't imply they are bad in
> themselves. Yet, there is something to say.
>
I won't enter into the first part, as the quality of my posts is almost
always quite poor unfortunately.
However, with regard to your observations as to layout on very busy and
popular sites, I have to agree.
I think the problem lies in ballancing the wishes of the customer with what
is supposed to be good practice. Customers inherintly want their site to
look, well, to look the way they wish to see it. What they desire is often
the product of graphic artists, who themselves are wanting to make artwork
that pleases the eye of the customer, and have little or no regard for the
technicalities involved in marking it up.
As you have observed (accurately I beleive) the persons using the net,
visiting these sites, have become accustomed to the vaguearies of markup,
and have develloped skills in this regard. I recently observed myself
looking for a "contact us" link, and was surprised as to how quickly I found
it, considering it's rather ridiculous location on the page.
Very recently I have been involved in a discusion about layout options for a
new site that involved the client, the artists, and myself. What the client
sees from the artist he likes, or not. If he likes, then he looks to me
expectantly. If my response is not altogether positive, what is he, a non
technical person, to think? The artist only wishes to make the client
happy, and will not be too supportive if his nice little silver on white bit
at the bottom is criticised by a person of little artistic ability (me).
The client recalls seeing many many sites that are very popular doing
exactly what this artist is suggesting. He sees me trying to explain why
this isn't considered good practice, and he's suddenly very tired.
In the end I wither under the artists calm and self assured gaze and after
passing some smelling salts under the clients nose, tell him that if that's
how he want's it, that's how it will be.
At that point I feel much like a web policemen who has had his gun relocated
as a butt plug.
Unfortunately, perhaps, freedom of speech translates into freedom of
everything when it comes to the web. And certain restraints often need to
be considered when your mind flashes to the "heres the invoice" part of the
transaction.
And, if you actualy consider your observations a different way, you may find
yourself asking "who or what is driving the net in this direction" and I'm
sure if you do you will see that every client/customer is indeed also a web
surfer.
You may know the rules. You may have the skills. But the person in the
back seat, that possess none of these, will still insist on giving you
directions.
Vince Morgan
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