NYCPHP Meetup

[Peter Sawczynec]

Me, I tend to strongly push customers towards the latest common
standards that the general population at large is likely using and try
to avoid time-consuming infinitely backwards compatible constructions --
as I've done that type of development and because one ends up developing
to usage statistics that are likely already a year or more old, that by
the time your product hits actual consumer usage, there are no more or
far less consumers still meeting the old standard you just developed to
for nothing. 

An easy progressive fallback for those users with JavaScript turned off
would be a nice web page with an 800-number to use and a printable form
to order by regular mail (yikes!). 

I would posit that this is best to be a strict dollars and sense
business decision -- is it worth the time, money and permanent extra
complexity? -- not a matter of whether the programmatic ability is
there. If the customer has genuine concerns about handicapped users on
their site with very special browser needs, okay different story.  

If w3schools is showing 6% JavaScript turned off -- that may be biased
towards professional developers using streamlined browsers to visit
their site. Additionally, I would agree: How could one be and aggressive
contemporary developer and surf and develop with JavaScript turned off.
I don't see it. Personally, I'd rather sell, develop and use a totally
Flash-enabled site than get slogged with a task of building a site with
no JavaScript.

In all my gabbing with regular folk about what they do to block popups:
they use built in popup blockers, buy commercial software, live with
what their ISP provides -- I have never personally spoken to anyone who
actually reached into the browser settings and turned off JavaScript. 

Seriously, I think we present to the customer that in a toss up of the
type: Option A) do we spend more time on infinite backwards
compatibility or Option B) spend more time on security updates and
security re-tooling. I choose Option B. And would sell that hard to the
customer too.

Warmest regards, 
 
Peter Sawczynec 
Technology Dir.
Sun-code.com 
Web related services 
646.316.3678 
ps at sun-code.com