TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Web query From:Barry House <bhouse -at- CREATIVE-HOUSE -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 Feb 1998 11:14:34 -0600
Nora Merhar wrote:
>
>
>Still, I forgive the people with personal home pages their
>"gee-whiz-look-what-I-can-do" enthusiasm for annoying music. OTOH, a
>professional page should be free of the need to use anything but your
>browser, UNLESS you put a statement on an entry page that says "You
>will need the gee-whiz plug-in to view this page. If you do not have
>the gee-whiz plug-in, this is where you can get it, and this is how it
>will affect your system once it is installed."
>
A few months ago I was working with a Web designer on a business site for a
client. The marketing manager wanted all the gee-whiz bells and whistles
she could get because the company was going to roll out the site at their
huge international sales meeting.
Once the meeting was over the designer took out most of the bells and
whistles (which were all Java based) because some of them made subsequent
pages load slowly--so slowly that it was noticeable on an ISDN connection.
Any feature that will slow down your user's access to information is going
to frustrate that user. So don't do it.
Barry House
The Creative House--Helping Businesses Communicate
P.O. Box 523
Pittsfield, IL 62363
217-285-2900
217-285-2950 Fax http://www.creative-house.com