Re: Fixed-width web pages - have some pity on designers!

Somewhere on Shadow Earth, at Thu, Aug 07, 2003 at 10:59:05AM -0700, Scott Meyers wrote:
> I don't see this behavior with IE6.  All the pages there seem to come up
> with the content fixed in width.  Can you give me more details on your
> environment and what you're seeing?

Sure. I saw the same behaviour with NS4.7 and Opera 7.11 under
Linux.  Curiously, I don't see that behaviour myself under IE6.0
for Windows.  Which, of course, means that those web designers may
be guilty of a modern version of "All the world's a VAX"
<http://www.jargon.net/jargonfile/v/vaxocentrism.html>, in thinking
that all the world runs IE6 on mS Windows (instead of only 90+%).
But that does not make them guilty of software keyholes.  So let
us leave that f'r-instance on the scrap heap of irrelevancy.

> >Also, do websites like InfoWorld <http://www.infoworld.com/> qualify
> >as what you are looking for?
> 
> Again, I see only fixed-width content.  What do others see?

And again, it renders fine under IE6/Windows. So I promise, henceforth,
when reporting possible problem websites, to try them under IE6/Windows
before telling the list about them. ;)

However, that does lead me to the question: Does designing a web site
for a give typeface/size combination, such that if a surfer (like myself)
who winds the point size up a bit, to ease the strain on bad eyes, sees
a profoundly ugly or mal-formed page qualify as a software keyhole? I suspect
that while it is definitely lousy usability design, it is not a software
keyhole.

-- 
Timothy Knox  <mailto:tdk-cm3xKafaMiJWk0Htik3J/[email protected]>
Let's just say that if complete and utter chaos was lightning, then he'd
be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper
armour and shouting "All gods are bastards."
	-- Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic