Re: Another Perspective on the Cause of the Keyhole Problem

At 11:10 PM 11/3/2003, Balog Pal wrote:
>> I could see retaining the "control" argument if it
>
>To me it looks like a mere rethoric problem.
>
>What about scrapping "control" and replace it with "freedom". ;-)

I'd been thinking of changing the tone of my argument from "you are trying
to seize control over something you have no damn business trying to seize
control over" (which happens to be the truth, but set that aside) to "some
users may feel that you are trying to seize control over something they
themselves want to control," and in fact that was the original purpose of
this note.  But then I reread what I have in the draft chapter, and I won
myself over with my original words.  This is the crucial paragraph:

  Furthermore, visitors *should* retain control over these kinds of display
  details. Focusing only on the issue of page width (I address font issues
  in chap-ter [GK]), the party best able to determine the optimum width is
  the person with the greatest knowledge of the visitor's viewing
  environment, and that person is the visitor. Who best knows how many
  applications are currently visible on the monitor? The visitor. Who best
  knows the relative importance of those applica-tions?  The visitor. Who
  best understands the visitor's preferred way to view content on a web
  page given the potentially many other things the visitor is doing at the
  same time? The visitor. Who is thus best able to position and shape the
  area available for displaying web content? Clearly the visitor.

I find this argument utterly and completely compelling.  Where is the flaw
in its logic?  

Scott