[Info-vax] : Re: OT: Rob Short: Operating System Evolution

[Paul Sture]

In article <00A96C15.CE89E109 at SendSpamHere.ORG>,
 VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:

> In article <00273837$0$2224$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com>, JF Mezei 
> <jfmezei.spamnot at vaxination.ca> writes:
> >VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> >
> >>>http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
> >>>http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
> >
> >
> >> No info on where and how these stats were collected?
> >
> >http headers is how. Big question is "where". If you use the Microsoft
> >web site, then you will get a very low number of non Windows users.
> >
> >And this does not take into account that non windows platforms often
> >have to lie about their OS in order to access certain web sites.
> >
> >For instance, Bell Canada (who has some sort of alliance with Microsoft)
> >at one point simply refused access to those not running Explorer on
> >Windows. So a Mac user would just change the "personality" in a drop
> >down menu to send the Windows/Explorer identity in the HTTP request.
> 
> I've had to do this same thing for too many web sites.  I'd then send
> off scathing letters to the webmaster denouncing the practice.  I do
> not believe that Vint Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee intended for the World
> Wide Web to become the Micro$haft Myopic Mesh!

I too used to write complaints and received some surprisingly haughty 
replies. The most haughty and indignant replies came from those who 
_really_ couldn't understand the concept of a locked down (corporate) 
PC, which told me more than they wanted probably wanted to let me know 
:-)

>From a webmaster's point of view, I see that browser usage can and does 
vary greatly with web site content.

-- 
Paul Sture