Re: pdf, javascript, and flash was Re: hello

["Doug Sutherland" <doug@proficio.ca>]

Javascript really is a bad idea as Chris stated, and so is flash.
Both can be opening connections to anywhere without your
knowledge. They are not secure, period. Many sites will not
work properly with browsers like links even though they have
javascript support. 

The adobe situation is far worse. It is becoming an entirely 
different platform on its own. Its almost like windows, in fact
it is competition to windows, it's a challenge to own desktop.
Look what google does, it can convert pdf to html but NOT 
text, its graphical. Its a total mess. It's huge software and is
buggy.

I could go on and on about these three evil bits of software.

But fundamentally they all assume I am on a PC, also on 
windows, and desktop windows. This is not my idea of 
information being free. The future does not lie in PCs. It 
will be portable devices. None of them handle these types
of "pages" properly. Web sites should be standardized in 
such a way that they are not form fit for PCs. There are 
some that support mini version pages like WAP format
but that's pretty lame. The information should be just 
information, and the protocols should be standard and 
generic such that ANY device or process can read them
and re-format them any way necessary. This will never 
happen with javascript, flash, or pdf.

All of the above are really used because of the silly need
to make the web more like TV than information, with 
all kinds of dizzying adverts, and the use of them is usually 
ONLY to make the site look pretty. Wrong reasons to 
diverge from the original idea, that there should be a set
of standards that are globally accessible.

I believe in accessibility beyond just for what most 
people think, it should allow not only different devices
or browsers, it shoul allow different modalities. The 
CONTROLS in particular should not assume that 
there is keyboard and mouse. Some very serious work
needs to be done in accessibility standards, and it's 
not headed in the right direction.

  -- Doug