When we build websites for our clients, one of the challenges with which we have to deal is cross-browser compatibility. As much as we wish it wasn’t true, the fact of the matter is that Internet Explorer (Microsoft), Chrome (Google), Firefox (Mozilla), Safari (Apple) and Opera all have varying degrees of support for “industry standards.” HTML, XHTML, CSS and other alphabet soup technical acronyms are all supposed to work within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guiding principles, ensuring a good user experience regardless of website visited or browser of choice. Alas, not true (yet).
 
However, the problem is exacerbated by the wide range of browser versions being used. And, of all the browser development companies, Microsoft has been the most egregious violator of web standards among its earlier versions. That’s basically because Microsoft didn’t care much about supporting web standards created by global technical consortiums…it wanted to create its own. That didn’t go down well within the development and standards communities, and Microsoft abandoned that effort and slowly began getting into alignment with the rest of the industry. Unfortunately, that’s only AFTER millions of copies of IE 6 and IE 7 were distributed and used…and, which are STILL being used by millions of users to this day.
 
Microsoft’s key distribution method for any browser version is pretty simple…if you build notebook or desktop PCs (such as Dell or HP) and include some version of Windows, you also have to load the latest version of Internet Explorer. As Microsoft built succeeding versions of Internet Explorer, they began the process of making older versions incompatible with newer versions of the Windows operating system. And, while it is hard to believe there are still Windows ME and Windows XP users still out there over 10 years after those operating systems were introduced, Microsoft has made it impossible for those users to upgrade browsers to IE 8 or IE 9. The upshot is there are still millions of users around the world accessing the Internet with Internet Explorer 6 and 7.
 
As a result, every website we build for our clients requires some special tweaking or “patches” to the code to ensure compatibility with legacy versions of Internet Explorer. We have a test bed of computers in-house with older versions of the browsers so that as we build a new website, we can check how a page of text and images render across the major browsers and browser versions. Firefox, Chrome and Safari are very standards-compliant and generally pose few web development challenges. IE 6 and IE 7 add development time to our website builds since we have to run daily Quality Assurance tests on every page of a website build to ensure that it renders correctly.
 
We recently came across an interesting graphic representing the 2011 month-to-month marketshare decline of older versions of Internet Explorer and the surge of newer versions that are finally getting traction (through the purchase of a new computer or through Microsoft’s free browser upgrade program). With the advent of Internet Explorer 10 in 2012, Microsoft is preparing to more aggressively send IE 6 and IE 7 to the trash bin by forcing users to transition away from its older browsers. There will be hiccups along the way because PC users upgrade their operating systems even less frequently than they upgrade their browsers. But, Microsoft has finally realized that the adoption of next-generation Web 2.0+ development tools, the need for more standards compliance for a seamless user experience and the expected shift to IPv6 Internet Protocol addressing (see Is the Internet as We Know It Over? from my post of February 19, 2011) all will require an end-of-life strategy for its oldest browsers.
 
If you have any interest in how Microsoft’s strategy will play out over the next year or so, please check out this article from one of my favorite technical news sites CNET.
 
In building websites, we’ll continue to have some new technical issues we’ll need to confront such as iPad compatibility, HTML 5 vs. Adobe Flash adoption and others. But, eliminating IE 6 soon, and IE 7 later, will be beneficial for users, for our clients and for us as digital developers. A parting question for you: if you use Internet Explorer as your main web browser, which version are YOU using? If you can, upgrade to the latest version of IE that your PC operating system will allow. If you are on a Macintosh, then you are not only lucky, but you’ll also have nothing to worry about!
 
If you have questions or would like to discuss further, please contact me at jmartin@commlinks.com.

Hayman Woods is an investor in a wide variety of real estate-related communities. They also own EscondidoTexas, the golf & lake community outside Austin, Texas. Communication Links manages public relations and many marketing functions for EscondidoTexas, and we also built their website here.

One of the principals at Hayman Woods asked us to build a low-density “corporate” web site for their investment company…and, to keep it very simple. This site went “live” LAST NIGHT, so we’re still tweaking some post-launch issues. You’ll see some new web build innovations such as vertical boxes and button short codes. You can find this new website at http://haymanwoods.com.

Want to get the lowdown on what makes Scottsdale the world’s finest golf destination? Check out the Golf Road Warriors golfroadwarriors.com.

The GRW crew is comprised of four nationally acclaimed golf writers: Jeff Wallach, Tom Beddell, Terry Moore and Peter Kessler (okay…so actually one is a broadcaster). They came to Scottsdale to take a whirlwind tour of the best we have to offer.

It was a rough schedule they had. Accommodations at Four Seasons, The Boulders and The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Golf at Troon North, The Boulders, McDowell Mountain Golf Club, TPC Scottsdale, Grayhawk and WeKoPa. Mix in some yoga, off-road driving, bull-riding and sharing a couple local craft brews with Robbie Knievel (heir to the greatest motorcycle stuntman of all time and no slouch when it comes to jumping things, himself)…and you’ve got a pretty fun trip by anyone’s standards!

SunRidge Canyon Golf Club announced that it will be home to a new Jim McLean Golf School, with a full complement of game-improving instruction programs and packages available to students beginning in mid November 2011. The instruction facility will be located on SunRidge Canyon’s practice facility with a permanent structure to be built in 2012 to house the school.

Much like its counterparts throughout the world, the Jim McLean Golf School at SunRidge Canyon will draw students from across the U.S. and the world, a perfect match given that the Scottsdale/Fountain Hills area is already a popular destination for golf vacationers. To accommodate travelers, CopperWynd Resort and Club, located adjacent to SunRidge Canyon, will serve as the preferred lodging partner, with many other lodging options available as well.

Read More!

We are proud to announce the launch of CL’s latest site, Palo Verde Capital. The site went live Friday, after tedious hard work and creativity. And although it is not in our usual realm of golf, it is one we are very proud of!

Palo Verde Capital, in Scottsdale, is a leading multi-strategy alternative investment manager. They provide disciplined investment management in a transparent, process-driven environment to institutions and accredited investors.

Below are screen shots of the site. Please feel free to check out the website in it’s entirety at pvfunds.com and let us know what you think in the comment box!

The ever popular Greenskeeper Tent at the Waste Management Phoenix Open is moving lakeside for the 2012 tournament. Now situated in the heart of the tournament and adjacent to the lake along the 18th fairway and 17thgreen, the Greenskeeper Tent will still be the place to be and be seen.

The 2012 tournament will mark the first time that Greenskeeper patrons will get a view of the golf action. To reserve your Greenskeeper tickets or to learn more about what the Greenskeeper has to offer, click here to view the Greenskeeper ticket package and video.

We were very lucky to be handed the task of creating a video, featuring PGA Player Tom Lehman! Our multi-media specialist, Kelsey Makings and our VP, Jerry Rose met Lehman at Grayhawk Golf Course to film his warm up routine. He is not only great on the course, but in real life as well. It was a pleasure working with him!

Unfortunately there was some interference with the audio. But hey, it is Tom Lehman nonetheless!

Smell that? Grayhawk is brewing up something new! Mojo Morning Joint, coming soon, will offer coffee and treats to the early morning golfer.

For any parent reading this, I’ve got a simple question…which of your children is your favorite? C’mon…fess up. Who is it?

Tough, huh? Okay, how about we use a mathematical formula that will determine which is your favorite based upon their appearance, personality, accomplishments, etc.? Or, let’s get a big group of people to visit with your children and then based upon their impressions from that visit; we’ll let them tell us which one your favorite should be. Sound cool?

I hope not.

But, more or less, that’s exactly how the major publications pick the top golf courses, and it’s just as silly as picking your favorite child. Let me explain…

I didn’t grow up with golf. In fact, I never laid a hand on a golf club until I was in my mid-twenties. I’ve come to enjoy and respect the game an awful lot, but it’s not like I have a deep abiding passion for its history and traditions like some. Personally, I don’t give a rip about Bobby Jones, or Old Tom, or Butler Cabin or any of the other things that seem to make Mike Tirico reflexively speak in hushed tones. I’m not deriding those things. I’m just being honest. I know they matter greatly to some people, but they don’t matter at all to me. Likewise, during my tenure at CommLinks, I’ve been fortunate to play several of the most universally acclaimed golf courses. You know what…they’re all good. Even really good. But if I had to play one golf course for the rest of my life…none of these “super courses” would be the one I’d choose.

Does that make the raters wrong? Does that make me wrong? Not in any way. Some people like filet mignon. Some like rib-eye. And, there’s not a mathematical formula or panel of experts that can decipher which is the better steak. It’s all just a matter of taste. And, so is golf. There’s no right answer, and there is no wrong answer. There’s just your answer. And, that’s all that matters.

Getting back to the “favorite child” thing…here’s my standard line on the subject. Golf courses are like kids. There’s something to love about every single one of them. It’s just up to you to figure out what that is. No go out and play.

BTW – Want to know my favorite golf course? Here’s a clue…My favorite course is sandwiched between a farm and an old airfield. At low tide it smells like fish and seaweed. From the back tees, it doesn’t even reach 6,000 yards and it has a par of 69. Have a guess?

A lot of social media professionals (those who do social media for a living) are looking for answers to a couple of very interesting questions: what’s the best time to tweet on Twitter, and to share a post on Facebook? There are a number of research studies beginning to provide some clarity on these and other issues so that companies and individuals can be make more effective use of their time and resources.

In an infographic report by KISSMetrics, with data supplied by Dan Zarella, we’re getting some useful quantitative data to answer a few of those questions. Different industry sectors may show anomalies to the latest research trends, and the demographics and geographics of those consuming social media will also show some scattering above or below these trends lines. But, the broader findings in this Science of Social Timing infographic indicate that:

The best time to tweet is 5PM ET
- 1 to 4 tweets per hour is ideal
- The best days to tweet are midweek and on the weekends
- The best day to share on Facebook is Saturday
- The best time to share on Facebook is Noon ET

Does this mean that you should not tweet in the morning, or share posts on Facebook on Monday nights? Of course not. But, the overwhelming evidence is that consumers have many conflicting media choices during each week day or weekend, and unless they are totally consumed by social media and ignore their families, friends and other business or social obligations, certain consumption patterns emerge that are worth considering.

I’ve reproduced the entire infographic below so you can see more detail.