RE: FLASH: Re: Opera/alternative browsers

[John Dowdell]

At 9:33 AM 6/20/0, Matt Wobensmith wrote:

> The best example of this is Microsoft's IE 5 for Mac... finally,

> it has the plug-ins object, so that JavaScript methods of player

> detection now function.


True, but many sites set up their "helper" routines like this:


   if (browser=netscape) then

      do navigator.plugins test

   else if (browser=microsoft) then

      if (platform=win) then

         do createObject test

      else

         send 'em GIFs

      end if

   end if



This isn't a slam on people who wrote the detection routines... they were

working with the current perceived reality. They may not have expected that

a new version of IE/Mac would regain functionality other browsers have, or

that someone may visit in a newer browser like Opera or iCab, or were not

on a Mac/Win machine, or such.


For "What can browser manufacturers do tend to make it easier for plugin

detection?" then I think that they should never, ever ship a browser in any

way unless it includes the then-current Flash Player, and they should

enable auto-update so the entire world can get any version of the player as

soon as it arrives. Of course, there's a reason I'm not ruling the world

too, so just consider this a mid-afternoon dream.... ;-)



jd









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