{"authorId":"1","title":"Javascript, A Requirement?","slug":"javascript-a-requirement","postDate":1199406543,"expiryDate":null,"enabled":"1","fields":{"2":"<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>\n\n<img src=\"&lt;?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?&gt;\/images\/blog\/fedex-track.gif\" alt=\"FedEx Tracking Screenshot\" class=\"imageCenter\" height=\"173\" width=\"365\" \/>\n\n<p>So I thought, whatever it&rsquo;s done in Flash, I&rsquo;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&hellip;<\/p>\n<!--more-->\n\n<h2 class=\"replaceHeadline\">Some Screenshots<\/h2>\n<p>Below is a screenshot of the page when Javascript is <strong>enabled<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<img src=\"&lt;?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?&gt;\/images\/blog\/FedEx-with-javascript.gif\" alt=\"FedEx Screenshot with Javascript Enabled\" class=\"imageCenter\" height=\"423\" width=\"468\" \/>\n\n<p>Now, here is what the page looks like when Javascript is <strong>disabled<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<img src=\"&lt;?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?&gt;\/images\/blog\/FedEx-without-javascript.gif\" alt=\"FedEx Screenshot with Javascript Enabled\" class=\"imageCenter\" height=\"830\" width=\"468\" \/>\n\n<p>Jesus, it looks like the page exploded. Not only does the tracking box go away, but the page looks completely awful.<\/p>\n\n<p>I know, I know, you are saying, &ldquo;but everyone has Javascript enabled and a Flash plugin installed&rdquo;. 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>\n\n<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>\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s pathetic that huge companies are still making terrible decisions like this on their web site. When will they learn?<\/p>","14":{"old_id":{}}}}