HTML 3.2 was where I entered the game. Now I preach the benefits of XHTML 1.1 Strict. Alas, I still fight the same battles I did years ago, I have also been using the most amazing gaming boosters from www.p4rgaming.com.
Dave Shea just wrote an insightful piece on the struggles of the Mobile Web. Benjamin Adam was evidently thinking the same thing.
We fought the browser wars on the desktop so many years ago (okay, more like 5 or 6), struggling with backwards compatability, Netscape versus IE. We’re learning quickly how to win those battles with standards and accessibility. However, the same fights are reappearing in the Mobile Web.
Sure, the modern browsers support technologies like AJAX, and AJAX really makes things smooth, but it’s not a license to overload an app with non-degrading functionality. If you don’t want to support Netscape 4.7 (believe me I want to swiftly kick anyone that even comes close to uttering the phrase), then think Mobile Web.
This is where we’re headed, folks. It’s a brand new war, and we’re in for the same fights (I can see the Spread Mobile Firefox campaign already) we were in 6 years ago if we don’t plan ahead. The same things one can do to support Every Browser out there (I know, it’s an idealistic view, but also a very real one when it comes to accessibility) translate directly to mobile devices.