Re: SEUL: Re: [seul-edu] Re: Web Site Prototype

[Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

malonowa wrote:
> 
> I don't see why you can't have a just text page as the seul-edu home page
> with a little javascript which redirects the user to something more glossy
> should their browser be capable of it. We could easily check for instance if
> the browser is netscape/ie and then move straight to something a bit more
> graphical. The lynx users of course would remain at the text part.
> 
> The problem really is that one has to give the right impression. Whilst we
> need to support many different systems, volunteers are more easily attracted
> to something that looks pretty and well designed. A mostly text page to
> netscape/ie users may give the mental impression that the project isn't
> really all that good and may not be going anywhere. We need to market
> ourselves to the prospective volunteers. I know that we shouldn't judge a
> book by its cover but we do don't we!
> 
Again, don't equate "a page that works well with lynx and w3m" with "a
boring page of just text."  there are perfectly nice pages with a fair
amount of graphics that are completely accessible and usable by people
using lynx and w3m.

And I'm not sure that I agree about a mostly text page giving the
impression that a project really isn't all that good.  Take a look at
the GNOME pages--they're almost entirely text.  In fact, my first
emotional impression (and it may not be warranted) of a page that has
lots of graphics and little text is, "lightweight, eye-candy."

-- 
Doug Loss                 The difference between the right word and
Data Network Coordinator  the almost right word is the difference
Bloomsburg University     between lightning and a lightning bug.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain