Help with question about web page access

From: Jerome H. Fine <jhfinexgs2_at_compsys.to>
Date: Mon Aug 16 16:23:31 2004

I realize that the 2 questions I have are NOT within the 10 year
rule, but I really could use some help!

While I have been using computers for over 40 years, I
have stayed with very old systems as far as programming
and writing programs is concerned. Thus, under Windows 98
SE and Netsacpe 4.78 (which is what I am using to access
the internet and this news group), I am ONLY able to use
the operating system and the application; I am NOT able to
make any modifications which is how I usually proceed when
I encounter any problems.

Last week, the web site that I usually access in a very standard
manner using Windows 98 SE / Netscape 4.78 no longer provides
the information I used to obtain. The reason is that the company
which controls access to the web site decided to add additional
features which require the use of at least Netscape 7.0 by the user.

And while I agree that the company has every legal right to do so,
at the very least some sort of warning could have been provided
which was much more apparent other than placing the information
under a link titled "required browsers" that I understand did provide
some advance notice. However, at the SAME time, the error page
which informed users that cookies were REQUIRED listed (and still
lists) Netscape 4.x and Netscape 6.x as the required browsers if
cookies were turned OFF.

Some more background information:

Because I ALWAYS run Netscape with cookies turned OFF,
except when I am required to have cookies enabled to access the
2 web pages that I normally use, I often encountered the error
page which listed Netscape 4.x as one of the required browsers.
Since EVERYTHING works when cookies were enabled, I never
bothered to access the "required browsers" link as the error page
certainly seemed to provide that information when I forgot to turn
cookies ON - which usually happened at least once a week.

ALSO, while I am not able to fully use the web site, I am able to
"log in" (with a userid and password) to get to the first level of
information that I request. It is only subsequent screens that I
am unable to FULLY access, i.e. when I request the next level
of information, the next screen is reached, but the changing
information is no longer displayed under Netscape 4.78, ONLY
the top portion with the headers, etc.

I have 2 questions:

Based on the information on the error page, would a normal user
be ALSO expected to look at the "required browsers" link when
the specific naming of Netscape 4.x was (and still was when this
post was made) displayed as an acceptable browser when I
forgot to turn cookies ON?

Could the company have continued to allow users access to the
web site under Netscape 4.78 by the expedient of NOT
providing those users the additional features that users of
Netscape 7.0 and later are provided? NAMELY, do the
fellows setting up the program have the ability to check as to
which version of Netscape is being used and could the program
have retained the old code for those users who stayed with
Netscape 4.78 and used to new code for those users who
shifted to Netscape 7.0 and later?

I realize this post is very long, but I hope it should be possible
to answer both questions with a simple YES or NO! If
you wish to add an explanation, that would also be VERY
MUCH appreciated!

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
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Received on Mon Aug 16 2004 - 16:23:31 BST

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