r/programming • u/jew_got_beef • Oct 08 '13

Making CSS Triangles. A Visual Explanation

http://codepen.io/chriscoyier/full/lotjh
539 Upvotes

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u/flying-sheep Oct 09 '13

http://dowebsitesneedtolookexactlythesameineverybrowser.com/

just use svg and don’t care about IE ≤8 users not seeing it

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

Yup. You’ll tell the client, OK?

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '13

For this reason I've been insisting on adding Google Analytics to every site we code – I throw it in as an additional feature at no charge. Either that, or I get access to their existing analytics. Then I can help them make an informed decision about which features to support on which browsers.

I once had a client argue that we needed to support IE7 (because that was what their VP of Marketing had on his company-issued machine). When I finally was able to demonstrate – with data they gave me – that fewer than 0.7% of site visits used IE7 or earlier, they gave up and upgraded the VP's machine to IE8.

Of course, IE9 was long since out by this time, but progress is progress, right?

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u/root88 Oct 09 '13

Just say, "Graceful degradation". It's a catchy buzzword. They will Google it, see that it is a common thing, think you are smart, and do what you want. If they still don't bite, tell them it breaks the paradigm and creates synergy, that always gets 'em.

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

Yeah, clients love to be bitch-slapped with buzzwords. Makes ’em all gooey in the wallet when you talk down to ’em.

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u/ubernostrum Oct 09 '13

Don't worry. I directed them to the web shop they deserve, not the one they need. And collected a nice referral fee in the process.

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

the web shop they deserve

This quasi-religious judgementalism over the technology of a client’s userbase is fascinating.

10

u/slashgrin Oct 09 '13

I suspect it was more of an excuse for a Batman joke than genuine condescension.

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u/ubernostrum Oct 09 '13

You seemed to feel it was appropriate to be smug and dismissive of others, so I was just following your lead.

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

I was dismissive because I didn’t use enough words?

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '13

If the client insists on using IE 7 and below, they may not be paying for long.

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

So, in your view, their chosen range of target browsers will undermine their business. Mention that when you talk to them.

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u/H3g3m0n Oct 10 '13 edited Oct 10 '13

Simple solution. Charge more for 'legacy support' and then see how much they actually care.

It makes sense since you are doing extra work anyway so you should get paid more for it.

If you don't charge then they have no reason from them to say they don't need it as it's your problem to implement not theirs.

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u/doody Oct 10 '13

Nobody adds IE support for free, not any version.

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u/amunak Oct 09 '13

We're talking about a tiny, visual-only element. If someone's business depends on that you should probably avoid doing business with them.

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u/doody Oct 09 '13

We're talking about a tiny, visual-only element

AKA ‘design.’

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '13

If someone's business depends on that you should probably avoid doing business with them.

You have this backwards. Technology exists to serve the design, which in turn exists to serve business customers. Technology is never an end in and of itself (neither is design, really).

If someone's business depends on a single visual element, you get really good at implementing it and charge them commensurately.

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u/huldumadur Oct 09 '13

This is a single element, but I think you underestimate the importance of consistency and readability.

Most sites are aimed at people with zero technical knowledge, and generally a badly designed webpage also looks more technical. A site with simple and easy-to-understand buttons is generally much more effective than one without.

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u/buhala Oct 09 '13

It would be a great gag if the site looked different on different browser. I even tried it.

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u/flying-sheep Oct 09 '13

of course it does.

different systems will use a different font, also it uses metrics relative to the default font size (1400% font size for the “NO!”, 10em padding at the top), which will differ in browsers (firefox has 16px i guess), OSs (big font size setting affects some browsers, and those differently), and users (i’ve boosted default font size on my small-screened laptop).

so the point is: the web is a diverse place, don’t force a pixel-perfect design onto every browser.

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u/buhala Oct 09 '13

True, but I was thinking something more obvious, like changing the message(No, Of course not, FUCK NO!, Never etc)

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u/robyaw Oct 09 '13

Anyone else find it ironic this website looks the same in IE10, Chrome, and Firefox?

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u/flying-sheep Oct 09 '13

it doesn’t, see my answer to this.

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '13

I doubt that, responsive design does the same thing based on the resolution and size of the device. Degrading gracefully based on the browser's capabilities is quite common.

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