If Web site visitors have standards-compliant browsers, developers will be able to spend their time writing to standards, rather than creating separate versions of Web pages for popular browsers. In addition, sites built to with features like CSS can be used across different types of devices, notes Jeffrey Zeldman, WaSP co-founder and group leader, who is spearheading the campaign.
"Web standards are about separation of style from content," said Zeldman. "Once developers can separate style from content, they can build sites that are more powerful, more usable for those who have different kinds of browsers."
WaSP's initial mission in 1998 was to press browser manufacturers -- which, at that time, had been focused mostly on introducing proprietary features in order to compete with each other -- to produce standard-compliant browsers. Browser makers came through last year with the introduction of Netscape 6, Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows, Internet Explorer 5 for Macintosh, Opera 5, and Konquerer, which support HTML 4, CSS-1, ECMAScript (the official version of JavaScript), and the DOM. However, because millions of users are still using Netscape 4 and Internet Explorer 4, developers continue to write workaround code that will run on those browsers.
Zeldman said he estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of Web users run these earlier browsers, and that the number varies according to the type of site. A general interest site such as Yahoo is likely to have more visitors who use older browsers than one with multimedia features focused on Web developers.
To support its effort, the WaSP has released code that detects if a browser is standards-compliant, and will redirect users of non-compliant browsers to an upgrade page on its site (www.webstandards.org/upgrade) or to another site the developer specifies. The WaSP page does not recommend a particular browser, but provides links that allow visitors to download various compliant browsers.
Some developers are not sure they want to jump on board. Redirecting can frustrate users who are trying to get information quickly and can even crash some browsers. In addition, downloading a new browser takes a long time over a slow connection. "I think one reason for the resistance is that the last time people were asked to upgrade their browsers, [the new version] took a long time to download. And then they found out it had security holes or it took over their operating system, and what was the payoff? They could see dropdown menus," Zeldman said, adding that browsers are more stable now, and the payoff is bigger.
User interface designer Cameron Barrett generally agrees with WaSP's move toward standards, but says he feels developers should examine their logfiles before deciding to force users to upgrade. "Commercial sites with a large user base -- those are the kinds of sites that can't afford to force an upgrade," said Barrett, who works in Collabnet's New York office. "Their message really should be: Upgrade your browser, but make sure you're not locking out your audience."
Zeldman likens his campaign to Ford and Firestone's tire recall, saying that he's doing nothing more than showing customers where to get a defective product replaced. "People are responding like 'I'm an American; Don't you dare tell me what to drive,'" he said.
Yvonne is senior editor of infrastructure and news at Web Techniques.
