<p>I had to go to <a href="http://www.fedex.com/us/">the FedEx website</a> to track a package this week, and I was pretty disappointed. While, I was able to track my package, I was surprised to see that the little tracking box was built in Flash. You can see the exact box that I am talking about in the image that follows.</p>

<img src="" alt="FedEx Tracking Screenshot" class="imageCenter" height="173" width="365" /><p>So I thought, whatever it’s done in Flash, I’m sure they have an HTML equivalent if someone does not have the Flash plugin installed or if they have Javascript disabled. Boy was I wrong…</p>


<h2 class="replaceHeadline">Some Screenshots</h2>
<p>Below is a screenshot of the page when Javascript is <strong>enabled</strong>:</p>
<img src="" alt="FedEx Screenshot with Javascript Enabled" class="imageCenter" height="423" width="468" /><p>Now, here is what the page looks like when Javascript is <strong>disabled</strong>:</p>
<img src="" alt="FedEx Screenshot with Javascript Enabled" class="imageCenter" height="830" width="468" /><p>Jesus, it looks like the page exploded. Not only does the tracking box go away, but the page looks completely awful.</p>

<p>I know, I know, you are saying, “but everyone has Javascript enabled and a Flash plugin installed”. Ah, I beg to differ, <a href="http://www.thecounter.com/stats/2007/December/javas.php">approximately 4% of users have Javascript disabled</a>. Yeah that looks like a small number, but when you are huge company like FedEx, that turns out to be a lot of people.</p>

<p>Honestly, how hard is it to have an HTML alternative to the little Flash tracking box? A textbox and a button, how complicated!</p>

<p>It’s pathetic that huge companies are still making terrible decisions like this on their web site. When will they learn?</p>