I agree. Take the major search engines, Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. and look at number of hits, percentage of users that use linux, and you have a relatively accurate number. Sure, you're going to get the same guy from two linux machines but you'll get people with two windows machines and you'll get people with both, and don't forget all the BeOS users =) But it's an accurate enough number for statistics to get a quality "x% use MS, y% use Apple, z% use Linux", etc. which would be good enough for most applications. Sure it won't be perfect, but what polls are? What matters is the overall picture is going to be pretty solid.
Well, I think a very good guess is all anyone is actually trying to get, isn't it? I don't think the attempts were to say 3,683,296 people are using it, but more to say some percentage of the market is using it.
Stone walls SUCK when it comes to wi-fi, but there are always ways around this problem. The best solution to this problem is to get some wireless bridges (Linksys WAP11s) and put them in each house in a window somewhere facing the main house. Then attach a wireless access point to them to retransmit the signal around inside each house. The bridges will setup a wireless link to the main house with the Internet Connection, adn then the Access Points will allow that connection to be retransmitted inside the house that it is in. For the access point, I would recommend the SMC2655W. It is a great access point and a little more stable than the Linksys.
First, in Starbucks defense, they don't have a choice as to what frequency they use. If they choose the 802.11b standard, they can kind of adjust the signal a little so it runs on a slightly different frequency, but I don't think that is the issue here. I don't think interference is the problem. Second, anyone can get on the free network there without a problem, no matter what Starbucks does, so they can't be blamed for anything other than whining about a free network that happens to be near by.
Content is always the most important, but if you don't show it to your customers in a way they enjoy, your content will be worthless. If a site does not look professional, I leave. If it is professional, I will give it a chance.
I disagree with this statement: "provide the user with choice (which is one of the most important things that a website developer can do)" I don't want to give my customers a choice as to weather or not they are going to leave my site. I want them there spending money on my products. That is a basic rule of business.
I will always open external links in a new window. This is why. Many like it, many don't. What it does is keep the customer at my site. Why would I want my customer to leave my site? It doesn't make sense to open it in the same window, and the less tech savvy people may not know that you can shift click or right click and choose open in new window. It depends on your preference in site design, but I would never toss away a customer like that.
I think that too much of a good thing is bad, but I leave sites if they don't have something to stimulate my interest other than text. If I want just text, I'll use links.
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I agree. Take the major search engines, Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. and look at number of hits, percentage of users that use linux, and you have a relatively accurate number. Sure, you're going to get the same guy from two linux machines but you'll get people with two windows machines and you'll get people with both, and don't forget all the BeOS users =) But it's an accurate enough number for statistics to get a quality "x% use MS, y% use Apple, z% use Linux", etc. which would be good enough for most applications. Sure it won't be perfect, but what polls are? What matters is the overall picture is going to be pretty solid.
Well, I think a very good guess is all anyone is actually trying to get, isn't it? I don't think the attempts were to say 3,683,296 people are using it, but more to say some percentage of the market is using it.
Stone walls SUCK when it comes to wi-fi, but there are always ways around this problem. The best solution to this problem is to get some wireless bridges (Linksys WAP11s) and put them in each house in a window somewhere facing the main house. Then attach a wireless access point to them to retransmit the signal around inside each house. The bridges will setup a wireless link to the main house with the Internet Connection, adn then the Access Points will allow that connection to be retransmitted inside the house that it is in. For the access point, I would recommend the SMC2655W. It is a great access point and a little more stable than the Linksys.
First, in Starbucks defense, they don't have a choice as to what frequency they use. If they choose the 802.11b standard, they can kind of adjust the signal a little so it runs on a slightly different frequency, but I don't think that is the issue here. I don't think interference is the problem. Second, anyone can get on the free network there without a problem, no matter what Starbucks does, so they can't be blamed for anything other than whining about a free network that happens to be near by.
Content is always the most important, but if you don't show it to your customers in a way they enjoy, your content will be worthless. If a site does not look professional, I leave. If it is professional, I will give it a chance.
I disagree with this statement:
"provide the user with choice (which is one of the most important things that a website developer can do)"
I don't want to give my customers a choice as to weather or not they are going to leave my site. I want them there spending money on my products. That is a basic rule of business.
I will always open external links in a new window. This is why. Many like it, many don't. What it does is keep the customer at my site. Why would I want my customer to leave my site? It doesn't make sense to open it in the same window, and the less tech savvy people may not know that you can shift click or right click and choose open in new window. It depends on your preference in site design, but I would never toss away a customer like that.
I think that too much of a good thing is bad, but I leave sites if they don't have something to stimulate my interest other than text. If I want just text, I'll use links.