In article <985rgk$ps8$0 at 216.155.0.50>, Arthur Sowers
<arthures at magpage.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Professionals and Academics Network wrote:
>> > I restrict access to IE5.x users because I built this application using
> > Visual Basic script and XML/XSL (an acronym for Extensible Markup
> > Language/Extensible Stylesheet Language), both technologies in my
> > opinion
> > enabled a fast turn-around and an efficient application display without
> > having you downloading executable files to your PC.
If you think this is the only way to do it, you should get a
professional to help out. If you can't afford a professional, then
why not? Is it a fly-by-night operation? If you're going to be serious
then you have to act seriously.
And your last sentence is laughable. let me cite the relevant portion:
'without having you downloading executable files to your PC'
But on your website you instruct me to
'download Explorer 5.x and above.'
. . .
> So, does that mean its _always_ going to be IE 5.x only? I think you at
> least should do some explaining on the first page people get otherwise
> you'll turn them off.
frankly, I am certain it would be easier to code the site to be more
browser-agnostic than to code specifically for a single release of a
single browser.
> Oh, yes, there is that advertisement about "Let us give you a quote on
> your auto insurance and we'll give you a free calculator even if you
> don't
> buy the insurance" and after you hang up the phone, you realize they know
> what cars you have, what your name is, what your address is, etc. And,
> that stuff gets sold for bucks.
I suggest that no one gives information away for free.
see
http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/personal/rpg/hagel.htmlhttp://www.portlandpress.com/biochemist/cyber/botw/botw0002.htm
and
http://www.scienceboard.net/
> Plausible, but you really have to give people more before asking them to
> spill the beans on themselves.
>
Absolutely. Quid pro quo.
> > The visitors to the site who wish to locate you will not be required to
> > register.
>> Well, I didn't see anything when I visited that suggested I did not have
> to register & get a password to get anywhere.
No that's worrying, actually. If I enter personal info into a database,
I want to know that it's not some crank who is looking up the info.
especially in this business. It would be more appropriate, IMFFHO, to
have the searchers register before they're allowed to query the database.
> In the past 2 weeks, after I advertised this project, my
> > experience was that real people are not shy to write down their
> > professional
> > information (because they want it advertised anyways).
More fool them. Information is money and power, not to mention the
security implications raised by Dr Sowers. I wonder how secure is the
database, especially given the evilness that is Visual Basic.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, given its current state I for one am
not at all interested - not least because I will not install IE.
--
Richard P. Grant MRC Lab of Mol Biol
rpg 'at' mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/personal/rpg/
-- 'I found my drill/On Blueberry Hill . . .' --
