Browser Compatibility Information
Minimum Width
The ZJX ARTCC web site has been designed to be displayed on screens with a minimum resolution width of 1,024 pixels. While other web sites may be displayed properly at resolution widths as small as 800 pixels, we have chosen this wider width based on our target audience. This is, generally, a web site targeted at simulated air traffic control and flight simulation enthusiasts. This audience typically has access to monitors and video cards that support higher resolutions, and--because of their use of programs such as ASRC, VRC, and Microsoft® Flight Simulator--they typically make use of these higher resolutions. If your resolution is set to less than 1,024 pixels wide, or your browser's overall window width is less than this, then you may need to scroll left and right to see the entire content of the pages on this site.
Supported Browsers
The ZJX ARTCC web site strives to support modern versions of most commonly used web browsers. What constitutes a "modern version" and "commonly used" are decisions the designers of every web site struggle with. Providing perfect support for the quirks, incompatibilities and intricacies of every available version of every browser is simply impossible. Instead, administrators of web sites typically choose a targeted subset of browsers and a minimum version to support, and this site is no different.
For our part, the ZJX ARTCC has chosen to specifically support the following minimums:
- Mozilla® Firefox® version 2.0
- Microsoft Internet Explorer® for Windows® version 6
By "specifically," we mean that these are the browsers and minimum versions against which we test our content. That does not mean that other browsers or versions will not work. Many browsers on the market strive to be compatible with one of the two mentioned above. Several use the same "engine" internally to display content to you. The version 8 of the Netscape® Browser, for example, can use the engine from either Mozilla or Microsoft. Safari, Opera and Konqueror are other browsers that probably work, more or less, if the most recent version is used.
There are some browsers and versions that we specifically do no support:
- Any version of Microsoft Internet Explorer earlier than version 6
- Any version of Mozilla Firefox earlier than 1.5 (or any of its derivatives)
- Any version of the Netscape Browser earlier than version 8
- Any version of the Opera browser earlier than version 9
- Any cell phone-based browser, or browser expecting wireless markup
- Any text-only browser
- Any browser that does not properly ignore the <script> tag and its contents, treating them as unknown, if scripting is not supported
- Any browser that does not properly support modern Cascading Style Sheets, including positioning
Again, its not that these browsers will not (at least partially) work--but don't expect your browsing experience to be a pleasant one!
Cookies
Like many web sites, this site sets and uses cookies to enhance
your user experience--to remember your personal settings, for
instance. Members of this web site are required to enable cookies for the www.zjxartcc.org domain for the proper functioning of this site.
JavaScript
Like many web sites, this site uses JavaScript to enhance your user experience. Most content intended for the general non-member public either do not use JavaScript at all, or do not rely on JavaScript being enabled on the browser. For members of this site, JavaScript is used in many forms and on many pages in order to provide you the information and services you ask of us. We strive to design this content such that the JavaScript is not required for the page(s) served to members, however members are strongly encouraged to enable JavaScript for this content to display and function properly. Members who have access to one or more administrative functions on this site (whether accessed through a link or menu labeled as such or not) are required to enable JavaScript for the proper functioning of these pages.
Pop-up Windows
We hate pop-ups just as much as you do. Really. We do. For the most part, this site does not pop up windows to provide its content to you. In some rare cases, a small pop-up window may be displayed to gather information from you in order to complete a requested operation. At no time does this site serve pop-up advertising. In fact, at this time, this site serves no advertising of any kind at all. If you see pop-up advertising (or any ads at all) appear while browsing our site, then it is probably being generated by malicious software that has infected your system.
Accessibility
While the designers of this site strive to make the content of this site accessible to all users, we apologize that we cannot definitively claim that all content is accessible.
Soap Box
Warning: The following is a bit of soap-box-style personal opinion of the maintainer of this web site, and in no way reflects the official position or opinion of the management of the ZJX ARTCC.
Some browsers are better than others. From a user's point of view, a "better" browser might be one that is easier for him to use, or might simply be whatever is installed automatically on the computer he is using. From a web designer's point of view and a programmer's point of view, one way to identify a browser as "better" is one that either complies with the leading web standards, or makes a genuine and obvious effort to comply with them--correcting any deficiencies they can in later versions. Many browsers fit this description. Firefox, Netscape and others either do an excellent job of complying with standards such as HTML, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript/ECMAScript, or they are making a genuine and obvious effort to comply with (and improve their compliance with) these standards.
Unfortunately, the most prolific browser used on the web today, in my honest opinion, does not fit this description. I waited with anticipation for Internet Explorer version 7, expecting that its manufacturer would finally see the light and correct the plethora of defects in its browser to bring it into compliance with web standards. It seems that they have only made a token, and obviously meager effort to do this. One can only conclude that either (a) the company and the product's developers completely fail to understand the web standards and how to implement them, or (b) the company just doesn't care because it's big and rich and everyone uses its stuff, so standards defined by someone other than them just don't have to apply. I find case (a) hard to believe. Software developers are a proud bunch, both individually and collectively. That so many people can so completely fail to understand something that so many other people understand so well just doesn't make sense. That leaves us with the arrogance of case (b). Disappointing.
Why should you care? Because Internet Explorer is so rife with bugs and lack of compliance, and is the most often used browser on the web, web site designers are forced to either (a) hack their sites to get it to display and function properly in both standards-compliant browsers and IE, or (b) simply not use a feature at all because it's too hard to get working properly in both sets of browsers. You should care because this means there is less available to you, and what is available takes longer to make and is harder to fix if it breaks.
What can you do? First, complain to the Internet Explorer's manufacturer. Complaints seem to fall on deaf ears over there, but if enough voices shout, maybe they will finally hear. Second, and more importantly, vote with your feet. Drop Internet Explorer and start using a standards-compliant browser. Market forces work, and if the manufacturer starts to see its market share falling, it will get the message. I would suggest moving to Mozilla's Firefox, available at http://www.mozilla.com. It's free, it works, and it has had features for a while that IE7 has just gotten around to implementing (and some IE7 has yet to figure out). Is Firefox perfect? No, it is certainly not--but at least they are making an honest effort.
Thanks for listening.
