Re: UKNM: shopping solutions

[Sean Phelan]

>Hi Fellow Net Geeks

>

>I would like some opinions on client side javascript shopping systems

>against server side compiled or scripted solutions. My own view is that

>server side solutions give added robustness (indeed all my sites are server

>side) as they are browser independent and the slight loss of performance is

>a price well worth paying. What does the rest of the community feel / have

>experience with? Would anyone tout client side to a client? Do clients know

>the difference? Is the world round?


Client-side javascript is fairly risky, as you don't have any control over

future versions of the javascript interpreter, or on whether users disable

javascript.


While only a very small proportion of users disable javascript and/or

cookies on their own browsers, these users can create a disproportionately

large overhead in terms of support (calls and email along the lines of

"your site doesn't work!!").


There is also a significant risk that during the next net privacy scare,

hacker scare or virus scare various newspapers and magazines may start

explaining to novice users why Javascript is dangerous and how to switch

it off.  They may be entirely right, they may be completely wrong, but

if the article gets published then users will follow the instructions.


Finally, if you want your shopping solution to be available within

intranets, bear in mind that there are some internal IT departments out

there with a very pre-perestroika view of user empowerment.  They may

disable javascript and cookies in the browsers they distribute internally.


Cheers

Sean

=============================================================

Sean Phelan

seanmultimap [dot] com

     http://www.multimap.com

phone (within UK): 0171 433 0460      fax (UK): 0171 209 5194

phone (Int'l):  +44 171 433 0460      fax:   +44 171 209 5194


********************

UKNM is sponsored by Excite UK, visit us at http://www.excite.co.uk.

Email Khalil Ibrahimi

khalilexcitecorp [dot] com (mailto:khalilexcitecorp [dot] com)

 to advertise on Excite.

********************

Change your UKNM subscription use http://www.chinwag.com/uknm.html