Wrapping It Up

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Browser Question - There are several browsers one the Web. One is much more popular than the others.

NOTE: Browser popularity varies! Some months the statistics show that browser X is the most popular, at other times the stats claim that browser Y is the most popular.

Links to popular browsers

To learn more about the browsers mention here, click on the links below to go to the publishers' Web sites. Each link opens in a new window.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Safari
• Opera
• Chrome

Many browsers are now-cross platform. Safari, which for a long time was only for Macintosh computers, is available for Windows, too.

Versions of Firefox can be downloaded that are suitable for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it is available in many different languages.

Testing and Checking a Web site

It is necessary to test a Web page in two or three browsers. Because of the way that browsers interpret HTML/XHTML code and handle Cascading Style Sheets, pages may look different depending on which browser is used to view them.

In addition to checking pages with different browsers, it is good practice to validate your code. Valid code is more likely to make your pages display properly.

Many Web editing software programs, such as Dreamweaver, have code validation functions. But many Web designers use the World Wide Web Consortium's online code validators.

You can find that at www.w3.org and just follow the links and instructions.

Top Tips to Annoy and Insult Your Web Site Visitors:

(Don't do this stuff!)

• "This site best viewed with _____" - Don't suggest to your visitors that their monitors are set wrong or that they use the incorrect browsers. Sites should be designed to work right on all combinations of equipment and software.
• "Under Construction" - Web sites are assumed to be periodically updated, changed, or otherwise "under construction." This just annoys people. You are telling them that you'd rather aggravate them than finish the site. Remember, people take detours around roads that are under construction.
• Background music - Takes too long to download, many people cannot hear it, and it will probably sound bad. Most users have music players (such as Windows Media Player and RealPlayer), and in may instances when they visit your page the player will start and cover up the Web site!
• Horizontal scrolling - Avoid it because people will click out rather than do it.
• Silly or Useless Animated GIFS - The general advice these days is to avoid animated gifs because they are old fashioned and take longer to download. But, when animated gifs are carefully selected and chosen for a specific goal or purpose they can be effective. For instance, they can be used to illustrate a concept of technical detail. Never use them just because "you can."
• Splash pages - These pages usually involve downloading a "useless page" that has no pertinent information outside of a "Click Here" or "Enter" button. On a very few selected instances Splash pages can have their uses, they are often "expected" with sites that are supposed to represent "high tech." Often high end graphics design firms will use them. However, they are annoying and wasteful in most situations and should be avoided.