In message <uce-41AC05.08274308052008@newsclstr03.news.prodigy.net> Gregory <uce@splook.com> wrote: > In article <slrng24pqr.g1r.g.kreme@cerebus.local>, > Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
>> >> Back in 1995 worrying about dialup was sensible as the vast majority of >> >> your visitors were using dialup. Now-a-days, nearly none are. >> >> > Depending on who "your" visitors actually are. About 1/6 of US users are >> > still at 56k or less. (Silly me. I think there's a substantial >> > difference between 17% and "nearly none." >> >> Based on my webserver logs (across a varied collection of sites, most >> not written by me but hosted by me) it is well under 5%. >> >> The 16-17% that have dialup are not cruising around the web. They are >> getting their email and going to a small handful of sites that they >> know, and that is all they are doing. Even the very large sites like Amazon >> and Ebay are obviously not catering to the dialup user as those site have >> more and more images. >> >> > Would you give me $100 every time I rolled a one on a die if I gave >> > you $10 every time I rolled 2-6? >> >> That does that have to do with anything? Are you saying a dialup user is >> just as likely to make a purchase online as a broadband user? Because >> if so, that is demonstrably false.
> I wasn't actually talking about purchasing. I was talking about > "visitors" about which you claimed "nearly none" are using dial-up > connections. If you're designing a site that's hostile to dial-up users,
I've never said that. I said I don't consider the dialup user when I make design decisions, and gave a specific example. I also said that most of my code was CSS/HTML and decayed quite nicely.
> you're obviously going to skew the numbers for *that* site lower. That's > self-fulfilling.
> But, since you bring up commerce, do you have evidence to share > supporting the idea that dial-up users are substantially less likely to > buy online? Evidence that doesn't involve a web site that's hostile to > slower connections?
Well, let's see. When did the whole internet boom thing start? When everyone was on dialup, or after people started getting broadband?
Broadband users spend far more time online, see far more pages than dialup users, and access a much larger set of sites. They also spend far more money online.
But here's a few links:
<http://www.prosyscom.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43> "Reports on online consumer spending for 2004 show that consumers are reaching for their wallets more often than ever while surfing, thanks to increased broadband access worldwide."
[snip]
"According to recent findings, there are two reasons behind this jump in online revenues. The first is that people are growing more comfortable with the Internet. The second is that broadband usage around the world has passed major milestones in terms of number of users."
<http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/19476.html> "By the end of 2007, broadband's share of the Internet access market will have more than tripled, according to a study released last week by the Yankee Group. Such widespread adoption of DSL (digital subscriber line) and cable Internet access is expected to change both the shopping habits of consumers and the selling strategies of e-tailers.
"Streaming video, improved and more frequent use of audio, 360-degree virtual reality tours and 3D modeling are among the technologies that are likely to find their way into mainstream shopping experiences as broadband takes hold, according to Andrew Bartels, vice president of technology and electronic commerce strategies at Giga Information Group."
<http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/21658.html?welcome=1210349318> (2003) ``"Broadband has had a huge impact on sales," said Gartner analyst Avivah Litan, who observed that as broadband use has increased, so has time spent online by the average shopper. During the same period, online retail numbers also have risen. Although scientific correlation is difficult in such matters, Litan, who also expects to see about $95 billion in total e-tail sales this year, said Gartner's surveys of home shoppers show that permanent Internet connections remove some hesitation from the online shopping process. "People don't have to think about whether to connect," she told the E-Commerce Times.''
-- "Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time."
