I have examined this "excellent" service with an eye from the web
development community.  Please be aware that there is much conflicting
information given to the user at this site.  Those people with limited
computer/internet literacy will be impressed with a long list of
"official" responses.  In reality - this automated system gives
conflicting information.

For example:  It had a hard time with image maps and java script
mouseovers.  These are standard practice in the industry and have been
for some time. They are both backwards compatible to versions 3.0 of
browsers.

Then in contradiction the service suggested that style sheets should be
used whenever possible.  Cascading Style Sheets are new to the industry
and each browser reads them differently and are only backwards
compatible to 4.0 versions of browsers.

In addition:
This service also had no idea what to do with ASP code and internal
links to subfolders.

The only piece of information I found valuable was the download time.

The point of this message is then - I caution you to utilize this
"checking system" without a trained eye to decipher the response. If you
decide to use the results please have your local webmaster evaluate the
results for you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Boylan P [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 1999 10:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: website discussion - disabled etc. accessibility


The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) has a really excellent
on-line service called Bobby which enables you to check out your own (or
in fact any) web page for user-friendliness and accessibility for people
with disabilities of various kinds.

It also checked HTML coding for conformity to w3c rules and bench-marks
download speeds.  All you have to do is call up the Bobby page and type
in
the URL of the web page, and you get a full analysis within a minute or
so
- with line-by-line listings of any HTML that presents problems.  If
your
page meets the Bobby standards then you are permitted to display the
Bobby
disabled-user friendly logo on the page.

Point your browser to:  http://www.cast.org/bobby/ and go from there.



Patrick J. Boylan  (Professor of Heritage Policy and Management)

City University, Frobisher Crescent, Barbican, London EC2Y 8HB, UK;
phone: +44-171-477.8750, fax:+44-171-477.8887;
Home: "The Deepings", Gun Lane, Knebworth, Herts. SG3 6BJ, UK;
phone & fax: +44-1438-812.658;
E-mail: [log in to unmask];  Web site: http://www.city.ac.uk/artspol/

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