AOL Browsers, Georgia font, and other frustrations...
How do AOL Browsers differ from their standard counterparts?
I've got a client who hasn't been liking what I've done for her much and after finally posting a screenshot of how it *should* look, I realize why - many of the css attributes are not being picked up by her browser. According to my site logs (she's not much help in this department) she's using IE 5.5 for AOL. I've got the regular flavour of IE5.5 running on one of my machines here and everything renders fine.
On her browser, cell backgrounds are missing and margins aren't right. I haven't seen an actual screenshot of what she sees so I don't know what else is amiss.
And another thing, how uncommon is the Georgia font? I thought this was a fairly common font. I finally decide to use it on a site and the client doesn't have it. I check my secondary PC and it isn't there either. With 2000+ fonts, I guess it is easy to lose sight of which ones are "common" but I see Georgia used fairly regularly.
Oh and yes, before you start thinking that I'm rambling in the wrong forum, could I get some objective thoughts on this layout? It'll look like you-know-what in NS4.x - that much I know. I'm working with colours I dislike but the site is growing on me. I might be too close to it though.
Ignore the main page - it is a WIP.
http://www.sitesunseen.com/clients/redpeony/
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taff posted this at 18:41 — 11th August 2003.
They have: 956 posts
Joined: Jun 2001
More weirdness on the fonts...
She's seeing TNR, ie - default. My CSS font group is as follows:
Georgia, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif. Surely she must have one of these? Another browser issue? am I missing a really stupid coding error?
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Suzanne posted this at 18:55 — 11th August 2003.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
This will probably not help, but it is good practice, so if it does help, yay!
Use lowercase elements in the CSS, not UPPERCASE.
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sitesunseen.com%2Fclients%2Fredpeony%2Fredpeony.css&warning=1&profile=css2 <-- getting a very strange error here.
by textarea seems fine, though.
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I would recommend you install AOL and give it a go. Or set up a pure CSS page and see what she sees. She may have CSS disabled!
taff posted this at 20:19 — 11th August 2003.
They have: 956 posts
Joined: Jun 2001
hmm - I have no idea what that error means. My main stylesheet gets it as well.
You are absolutely right on the case - I've just fixed that and we'll see if it has any bearing although I somehow doubt it.
Oh I sooo do not want to have to do that if I can avoid it
Nope - some style elements *are* being picked up
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andy206uk posted this at 20:31 — 11th August 2003.
He has: 1,758 posts
Joined: Jul 2002
How about you reccomend to her that she *doesnt* use aol
This situations are difficult. I've had clients like this in the past, what I normally do is explain that the site is designed for the majority of browsers, however the one that the client is using doesnt comply to standards and as such may not give predictable results.
Use a strange metephor like she's using the equivalent of having an outboard motor in a car or something. Most of my clients after a bit of coaxing get it and ditch the crap that their currently using.
I've found the best way to convince them is to go to their premises with a CD with the latest version of IE, netscape, mozilla and opera install all 4 and let them see for themselves that it really works in proper browsers and its just aol being w*nky. Normally after seeing that they ditch ao-hell in a second.
Failing that, your gonna have to loose the styles and use html attributes (eugh!)
Andy
taff posted this at 21:16 — 11th August 2003.
They have: 956 posts
Joined: Jun 2001
Well Suzanne - bingo! Case was the issue - go figure. I converted everyhting to lowercase and now it is rendering properly for her.
That's what I get fer bein' sloppy!
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taff posted this at 21:38 — 11th August 2003.
They have: 956 posts
Joined: Jun 2001
Andy: Yeah, I've run into similar situations in the past also. I've done an entire site in CSS only to discover that the client was running Netscape3 on a Mac laptop with no room to upgrade.
I don't think her fees would cover the 5000 mile round trip
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Suzanne posted this at 22:01 — 11th August 2003.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Whoo! Good practice wins again! Whoo!
The Webmistress posted this at 07:24 — 12th August 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Just thought I'd add that I hate AOL and I refuse to help clients with PC/email issues if they have AOL and they refuse to change!
andy206uk posted this at 09:21 — 12th August 2003.
He has: 1,758 posts
Joined: Jul 2002
I feel exactly the same. I prefer to educate my clients about browsers and compatability issues rather than just making sure it works only in their browser.
You know what I REALLY hate? Incredimail! its this stupid plugin thingy for outlook that lets you send html emails with stupid themes. I have a customer that supposedly runs a serious business always emails me stuff with a limegreen background and a picture of a smiley face smack in the middle. Its about as professional as turning up to a meeting with all your clothes on inside out. grrrr
Andy
The Webmistress posted this at 10:16 — 12th August 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
I know what you mean, a lot of my clients, who are business owners, use it and it is soooo unprofessional IMO
Suzanne posted this at 16:54 — 12th August 2003.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Incredimail drives me bonkers. Some relations of mine use it and my spam catcher nailed them all the time until I put them on my whitelist. Reluctantly...
JeevesBond posted this at 19:29 — 12th August 2003.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
Yeah, the person who does payroll at my day-job uses it...Sigh: "Your payslips are now ready for collection" looks so stupid with a purple background and waves going down the side, grrrr.
lol, sounds like you spam catcher knows what it's doing Suzanne
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