[SPAM key] - Re: How many use old browsers (e.g. =< Netscape 4 or IE 6) as their ONLY source of web content? - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

3 Jul 2015

...
 Jerome H. Fine wrote: 
...
  Terry Stewart
wrote: 
  I'm engaged in a Retrochallenge project where
I'm recoding my
 classic-computers.org.nz site to make it suitable for mobile 
 platforms.  I
 want to modernise the code as well, making it as close to HTML5 
 standard as
 I can

 The RetroChallenge blog site is here.
 http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2015-06-29-recoding-classic-comput…

 I checked this site under WinXP and found no problems.  The software
 is very old, but a quick search did not locate the version. 
As I mentioned, I backup up my Win98SE system, then accessed all
of the links under Netscape 7.2 without any problems.

...
   In doing this,
I will probably need to say goodbye to old browser
 compatibility.  As in old I mean Netscape 4 or earlier, and other 
 pre-2000
 browsers (and possibly IE 6, as it's not very standard).  
 As I noted in the statistics, I am one of the VERY,  VERY,  VERY few
 still using 32-bit Win98SE and Netscape 7.2 for e-mail and sending this
 reply.  While I prefer to stay with Win98SE, I may upgrade to 64-bit Win7
 so I can use a faster computer to run the emulator that I use: Ersatz-11. 
I understand that Netscape has been replaced by Mozilla.  HOWEVER,
since CHROME seems to be the most widely used, would CHROME
be able to support the retention of ALL of my old e-mails and posts
...
 from usenet?  Over the past 15 years, I probably have
accumulated over 100,000 e-mails and posts in about 130 folders!  So I would like
an easy upgrade path which supports being able to view and modify those
old e-mails and usenet posts.  Can CHROME support that?

...
   The website
does have a few articles and resources of interest to 
 vintage
 computer hobbyists, which I wouldn't want to make inaccessible. The
 question is, how many guys like us, those who dabble with old tech, are
 likely to use ancient browsers as their ONLY source of web content.  I
 suspect not many.  Should I worry about it?  Any comments welcome.

 On a related note, I'd be interested if anyone on the list CAN'T read 
 this
 page properly:
 http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/temp.html  
 This link also found no problems under WinXP.

 I have not checked out either of the links under Netscape 7.2 since
 any problems might be difficult to correct.  After I perform a backup
 of my C: drive and it will be possible to easily restore my system, I
 will try them. 
As I mentioned, I backup up my C: drive, then accessed all of the
links via Netscape 7.2 and found then all without any problems.

...
   It's a new
blog page template I've developed using HTML5 and is mobile
 friendly.  If it doesn't show up properly I'll be interested to know 
 what
 browser you're using.

 Please be kind about the HTML5 and CCS code.  I don't do this for a job,
 and it's a big learning curve for me.

 P.S. Here are some interesting stats. For myself, I've been a Chrome 
 user
 for a number of years now.
 http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

 Terry (Tez)  
 Obviously, I am in the negligible category for still using Win98SE and
 Netscape 7.2 along with 1280 by 1024 for my video display.  However,
 at least I upgraded to a flat screen monitor after both of my previous
 tube monitors died a few years ago.  As I mentioned above, I will access
 the 3 links you provide after I backup my C: drive.  I normally avoid any
 links to the internet on this Win98SE system and always restore the
 C: drive after I do so.  If there is a link that looks interesting, I 
 send
 an e-mail to the WinXP system and check the link there. 
And just in case, I did perform a restore to my C: drive again.  However,
under Netscape 7.2, I am able to CLEAN  CACHE and that did seem
to restore everything back to before I accessed the links.  At the very
least, all of the files that were placed into the \cache\ sub-driectory
were removed and the total number of files and sub-directories
reduced to the original value from before the links were accessed.
I don't know if making sure that there are no extra files and sub-
directories around after I use Netscape 7.2 to download my e-mail,
but I use that criteria to determine if anything that should not be
present has been added to the C: drive.  I realize that pre-existing
files could have been corrupted, but I can't monitor everything.
Also, after I download the incoming e-mails, I physically disconnect
the cable to the router so that any e-mails with links that could be
activated to files that might cause a problem can't be completed
without the internet being available.

If anyone who has read this far has any comments or suggestions,
they would be very much appreciated!

...
  Under WinXP, I looked over your page on emulators.  I
don't know
 if you consider the PDP-11 and the VAX as classic, but they were not
 included.  The PDP-11 has many emulators including Ersatz-11 produced
 by John Wilson at dbit.  The SimH emulator also supports the PDP-11 along
 with the VAX and a number of other hardware platforms.

 Do you not consider the PDP-11 a classic system?  I realize that most of
 the software is still legally proprietary, but hobby users are allowed to
 legally use early versions of the software under SimH.  Mentec, who
 acquired most of the frequently used software from DEC, is no longer
 active with the PDP-11.  The software IP seems to be with another,
 but that is difficult to verify, let alone to confirm whom to contact. 
Terry, I have not seem any response yet.  Did you see my reply?

Jerome Fine