How many users can change font sizes ?

[Bob]

yes it is. maybe not the answer the o/p was expecting but still an answer
and far more useful too as it addresses the underlying issue that the o/p is
working towards.

There is no underlying issue. I will continue to specify font sizes
that can be changed by the user if they wish. However, I am interested
in any specific surveys on the issue.

 

[Bob]

No, Willaim old son, I rather suspect the o/p is still trapped into
wondering whether;
1. specifying font sizes is a bad thing
2. tables are bad
3. css should be used for all web page markup
4. all posters who answer have credibility, or just repartee and writing
skills

No, with the exception of #4, which is apparently a key issue here

I plan to continue to specify font sizes. I plan to continue to make
them changeable by the user. I don;t really care to discuss CSS vs.
tables. I am interested in answers to the original question.

 

[Bob]

Wrong.

Thanks, got a survey ?

5% of the web surfer population is a very large number of people.

You read that wrong. It's 5% of the people being trained in
_technical_ courses who were *web development familiar*. For the
rest of the population, it was less than 1%.

Not everyone knows how to adjust the font sizes in their browser. But the
people that need to adjust it know how to do it and that's what really
matters. If you want them to visit your site and stay or even come back in
the future, don't specify a fixed font size.

I agree with that. I specify fonts so that they can be changed. I'm
still interested in how many folks might actually know how to change
them.

Web Accessibility Initiative
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/) wasn't developed because the W3C was bored that
year.

Sorry, but that's not the issue here except in terms of counting
the population. Anyone with a handicap that impairs vision already
knows how to change font sizes.

 

[Jim Royal]

I see a great deal of debate about font sizes and sizing pages based
on "em" sizing or similar. Is anyone aware of a survey of how many
users (that is, non web developers or similar) actually know how to
change font size in their browsers ?

IMHE, the percentage is ~zero.

I tend to agree. But that opinion is based only on the anecdotal
evidence of my own experience. There are no surveys that I know of. And
such surveys would be of little use, as most web sites are directed at
particular audiences which are not representitive of the general
web-using pubic.

As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the people who badly
need to adjust font size likely already know how to do so. So, it
remains vital that fonts sizes on web pages remain resizable, and that
resizing the fonts does not break the readabilty of the page.

Beyond that, I say use your best judgement based on the font face used,
the content of the page, and the intended audience. Sometimes you will
specify no size at all. Sometimes you will.

 

[Toby A Inkster]

IMHE, the percentage is ~zero.

And the closer this percentage is to zero, the **less** justification you
have for specifying small (below 100%) fonts.

 

[Bob]

And the closer this percentage is to zero, the **less** justification you
have for specifying small (below 100%) fonts.

You're the first one to perceive that, the other anti-size zealots
just drummed their usual drum.

Bob

 

[Toby A Inkster]

You're the first one to perceive that, the other anti-size zealots
just drummed their usual drum.

I'm smarter than the average zealot.

 

[Jay]

Thanks, got a survey ?

Nope. You don't need a survey. All you need to do is read the articles that
discuss this. Life isn't based on surveys.

You read that wrong. It's 5% of the people being trained in
_technical_ courses who were *web development familiar*. For the
rest of the population, it was less than 1%.

Even 0.5% is a very large number of people. It's alot more than "~zero".

Besides, if you have found that less than 1% of the rest of the population
can change their font size, why are you looking for a survey?

I agree with that. I specify fonts so that they can be changed. I'm
still interested in how many folks might actually know how to change
them.


Sorry, but that's not the issue here except in terms of counting
the population. Anyone with a handicap that impairs vision already
knows how to change font sizes.

Actually it is a huge part of the issue. It shows you that there are a lot
more people than your zero count that know how to change the font sizes on
their browser.

- J

 

[Jay]

You're the first one to perceive that, the other anti-size zealots
just drummed their usual drum.

Then listen to the beat.

It's not that people here are anti-size due to their own preference. People
are anti-size because it allows _more_ users to visit your website and get
the information they were looking for instead of going to someone else's
website and never returning to yours.

You said you think the percentage is zero. You know better than that (I'd
hope). If you didn't want advice about your opinion, you should've left it
out of your post.

If there was a known survey, someone would've given you the link.

- J

 

[Toby A Inkster]

You said you think the percentage is zero.

Actually he said 'the percentage is ~zero'. In maths parlance, the tilde
character (~) is used to denote 'approximately equal to'.

 

[Jay]

Actually he said 'the percentage is ~zero'. In maths parlance, the tilde
character (~) is used to denote 'approximately equal to'.

I know what the tilde is for.

- J

 

[Owen Jacobson]

I know what the tilde is for.

- J

Unknown user: zero

 

[Bob]

Shouldn't that be "Unknown user: ~zero" when making such hasty
decisions ?

 

[Owen Jacobson]

Shouldn't that be "Unknown user: ~zero" when making such hasty
decisions ?

Strictly? It should be "~zero: No such file or directory". According to
GNU bash, version 2.05b.0(1)-release (i386-redhat-linux-gnu) and ls
(coreutils) 4.5.3.

 

[Toby A Inkster]

Strictly? It should be "~zero: No such file or directory". According to
GNU bash, version 2.05b.0(1)-release (i386-redhat-linux-gnu)

Well, with tcsh 6.12, when I type "cd ~zero" I get:

Unknown user: zero.

and ls (coreutils) 4.5.3.

Your error message from ls isn't really from ls -- it's from bash --
expanding home directories is handled by the shell before it executes the
command.

Tf you run "ls ~zero" from within tcsh you get the tcsh error message
"Unknown user: zero." Ditto with "vi ~zero/foobar.txt", etc.

 

[Bob]

Your error message from ls isn't really from ls -- it's from bash --
expanding home directories is handled by the shell before it executes the
command.

Tf you run "ls ~zero" from within tcsh you get the tcsh error message
"Unknown user: zero." Ditto with "vi ~zero/foobar.txt", etc.

I think you've taken this silly pun _way_ too far