[Am-info] Dutch Railways web site cockup.

[madodel@ptdprolog.net]

Why not complain to the Directorate General for Competition
http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/index_en.html.  Sounds like they are
trying to help m$ force everyone to use crappy m$ products only.

Mark

In <200201081357.NAA004.26@pandora.degeus.com>, on 01/08/02 at 01:57 PM,
   "Marcus de Geus" <am-info@degeus.com> said:

>In reply to a message from "Peter Hollings" <phollings@mediaone.net>
>dated 2002-01-08 07:30:49 -0500 (Tue):

>> It's likely that the Netscape incompatibility resulted from the use of
>> Microsoft software (FrontPage, Office) to develop the website.

>Peter,

>I think one can safely assume that this is indeed the case. <g>

>Or, as I wrote in my reply to the message from the webmaster of the Dutch
>Railways (NS) (my translation):
>________________________________

>Dear webmaster,

>Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I must say that, in spite of its
>brevity, your explanation manages to raise quite a few questions.

>With regard to the NS "having had to opt for the current solution": does
>this mean that the web designers failed to complete their work on time?
>Could this be the result of their using software that does not lend
>itself to generating code capable of handling the "mutual functional
>incompatibility of Netscape-based browsers"? How well does the software
>lend itself to generating code that can handle the mutual functional
>incompatibility of different versions of MSIE? Is the software in any way
>capable of generating code that will pass muster?

>Anyway, what can be so special about a screen with a little text and a
>few data entry boxes that it requires special code that can distinguish
>between various makes of web browsers?

>And why should users have to sacrifice at least 600*800 pixels of their
>screen real estate to the NS?

>I maintain that an NS web train table can be created using a couple of
>dozen lines of handcrafted pure HTML, and that such an NS web train table
>would not take up more than a handful of text lines (say, 300*400 pixels)
>on the user's display. I also maintain that such an NS web train table
>would then be accessible, for many years to come, to any web browser, old
>or new, current or future, regardless of make or version of web browser,
>operating system, or hardware. In addition, I am certain such an NS web
>train table would be much faster to load on the user's client system than
>the current offering. On top of that, I would hazard that maintaining
>such an NS web train table would be much simpler, and consequently much
>cheaper, than is currently the case. The latter benefit should be of
>particular interest to you in view of the current state of affairs within
>the Dutch Railways company.

>Perhaps we could discuss some of these ideas sometime? You know where to
>reach me.

>Finally, I hope that NS are not planning to raise train fares in an
>attempt to recuperate the loss of revenue due to travellers being
>deterred by lack of travel information, and that instead, the money will
>be retrieved from those responsible, i.e. the recently sacked management.
>________________________________

>Regards,

>Marcus de Geus
>--
>marcus@degeus.com
>http://www.degeus.com

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>Am-info mailing list
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