Posted by Roy Schestowitz on 07/08/05 12:36

Travis Newbury wrote:

> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
>> Every Web application I can think of at the moment is designed to
>> accommodate for all (reasonable, say 600x800+) screen sizes. So, I don't
>> think it's ever justified to mess about with the window.
>
> Do you put arbitrary limitations on all aspects of your life or only on
> the web?
>
>> For the same reasons, people hate pop-ups. When you place an application
>> in your workspace and restrict it to stay within the window decorations,
>> you don't want it to invade other processes unless you permit that. Other
>> such nuisances are focus stealing and sound/music.
>
> We make a web conferencing application that can be launched in two ways.
> First is in a sized pop up window, the other is in the same browser
> window as the launch page. Based on customer feedback the sized popup
> is by far the most popular by a factor of almost 10 to 1. The main
> reason given is the aesthetics of the presentation. We have similar
> results for CBT software we sell but the main reason given is it is
> easier to keep the user focused when they are not distracted by menus,
> toolbars etc in the CBT. The LMS software that comes with the CBT
> software, also based on customer feedback, does not have a pop up
> window option because almost no one wanted it.
>
> So while you personally may not like it, the overwhelming majority of
> the users of two of these applications prefer the sized popup window.
> We find we have more happy customers when we give them what they want
> rather than putting limitations on them from the very beginning.

Allow me to clarify a few things:

I have no resistance to the framework you describe. In the Web application
you are involved in, people voluntarily use it and accept its behaviour. It
sounds like you have chosen a very convenient setting too, so I would not
have criticised it.

I am against permissive browsers that conflict with the preference of the
errant Internet surfer. They serve the interests (possibly malevolent) of
the Web sites rather than the user of the local machine and consequently
are prone to attacks which jeopardise the computer. Likewise, some designs
choose to 'toy' with the user or force the user to adhere to very
restrictive settings. Do you remember these old Web sites that were
programmed to jiggle your browser window, or force full-screen, or have the
window controls escape your mouse? That is freedom that people have little
patience for. That's why it has become a thing of the past.

Roy

--
Roy S. Schestowitz
http://Schestowitz.com

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