Re: software-keyholes Digest, Vol 3, Issue 11

Scott -

I'm about to go offline for a week, so a detailed response will have to 
wait, but:

>What part of my reasoning that users should control the use
>of their screen space do you not find convincing?

My impression from reading it was that the argument was "who gets to control 
the web page, the author or the user."  And my gut reaction to that was "the 
author," and I suspect if I *were* a web-page author, that reaction would be 
stronger, and would lead me to dismiss the argument.  While it may be true 
that this is one of several arguments to the same conclusion, and while it 
may be true that one bad argument doesn't mean the conclusion is bad, 
rhetorically (rather than logically) that is how people receive it.

I won't be able to support this contention of mine with evidence from the 
text till next week.  So I leave *my* argument without any supporting 
evidence for now.

Attila adds:

>One point to add here: *most* of the Web pages out there today are
>_commercial_.  If the developer of a commercial Web page does not
>understand, that he is making the Web page for his customers...
>Furthermore if some folks do listen to Scott´s ideas they will have a
>competitive advantage compared to those guys/shops who did not.
>Which Web page would you rather look at: one where you are in control
>of the layout, or one for which you need to disable page-defined font
>size and the increase local font size to be able to read it - and it is 
>still a
>band in the middle (left side) of your screen.

On a commercial web site?  I would rather look at the web site that is 
offering me the better price or product.  I'd rather read the Washington 
Post than the Schenectady Daily Courier, and that preference for the (author 
controlled) content is going to compensate for a whole lot of author 
controlled display.  I'd rather order from the online book dealer that gives 
me prompt delivery, excellent customer service, and the best price - even if 
their display is keyholed.

I'm not arguing that keyholes aren't a pain in the butt; I think they should 
be eliminated, too, and I think Scott's advice is excellent.  I am not 
quarreling with his conclusions.

But what I found on first reading to be the dominant argument was one that I 
don't lend a lot of credit to, just like I find your argument above 
irrelevant.  If I were trying to sell the case, I wouldn't use your argument 
either.

>One more point: while Scott is right about the user being in control
>being a good thing I would add something - since we went a bit into
>philosophy/psychology.  The user (only) needs to _feel_ he is in control.

Once again, let me disagree.  Vehemently.  The user is in some control of 
*some aspects* of the web page experience: some of the resources available 
to it.  But the author is in control of everything else.  The issue is not 
ceding control over the website to the user, the issue is responding 
gracefully to a wide variety of resources and platforms.  The user will have 
unpredictable resources, the author should use those to best advantage.  
Especially when the cost of a more flexible display is very small.

>Sorry if I sound harsh I did not mean it - it is a birth defect. :-)

With a name like Attila, I expected much worse!  Don't worry about the tone, 
I'm only interested in the argument.  (Ironic, I suppose, since my argument 
is just the opposite.)

                       -Tim

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