[SWLUG] Re: Motorola SB5100 cable modem

[Telsa Gwynne]

On Wed, Mar 23, 2005 at 05:35:12PM +0000 or thereabouts, Steve Anderson wrote:
> Julian Hall wrote:
> 
> >The only drawback is the online banking.  Historically the banks have 
> >always (foolishly in my opinion) stuck rigidly to only allowing 
> >customers to use Internet Explorer as their web browser, not making 
> >their websites compatible with anything else, e.g. Firefox.  So you're 
> >nailed to using IE with all its' many insecurities with WINE (if using 
> >Linux) or trying to nail down the rest of MS's famously insecure 
> >operating system.
> 
> Last year the Co-operative Bank (and it's entirely online subsidary, 
> Smile) redesigned their online banking. It used to be an absolute arse, 
> because it was all Java-based. Microsoft's Java-based. So having Sun's 

This surprises me. I have never had Java, and I have used Mozilla
to get at my Smile account for ages. Javascript sillies galore in
the early days (and still some weird bits), but no Java requirements.

Smile does work with Mozilla and so should work with Firefox. 

> ... and then last year they "got it". Their new online banking system 
> can even be accessed with eLinks (and it has been at times - and is even 

I wonder whether that date is related to the disability and 
accessibility legislation? And the threat of one or two of the
big charities to start making some extremely conspicuous examples?

The RNIB's report into whether it was possible to browse the web
and use all the e-commerce services you'd want to if you are blind
or partially-sighted made absolutely shaming reading. Very very few
banks or high-street shops had websites which were remotely usable.

> slightly attractive like this). So, if your bank is too stubborn to 
> consider the alternatives, try considering an alternative bank =)

Or asking them for their accessibility policy.

My favourite bank accessibility policy was in 10px pale grey text
on a white background in a javascript popup. 

Telsa