1. Surveymonkey surveys doesn’t work in FireFox. I was about to take a survey, and couldn’t check the checkboxes.

2. Turns out that the FEMA web site doesn’t work correctly, with non-IE web browsers. Here is a funny discussion about the problem, FEMA to Mac, Linux Users: drop dead. Hurricane victims who attempted to register with FEMA were unable to do so, unless they were running a Windows computer, using Internet Explorer.

3. Our local library (whose staff, work, and contents I cherish, and will therefore not further identify or embarrass) has a web site that only works in IE. When I asked the director why this was the case, she said, “the site is maintained by a staff member who received training in a particular piece of software.” (probably FrontPage). Anyone using a non-Windows computer, will have difficulty with this web site.

Where there is a problem, there is are also solutions. Two examples from Macromedia:

1. Macromedia Contribute is a web site builder which does not require knowledge of html code. Works on Macs, and Windows computers. FrontPage users that have run into compatibility problems should take a look at this product.

2. Macromedia Dreamweaver is a sophisticated web site builder that creates web sites compatible with multiple browsers.

Especially for academic and non-profit sites, browser agnosticism is a positive.

Other web/internet tool ideas:

Build your own mail-in web forms with the Form Assembly Project.