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This is a sentimental moment. It’s time to wave goodbye to Netscape

as internet evolution leaves the ground-breaking software somewhat

stranded on the sand. It might struggle on for a few years, but in the

process of agglomeration that characterises all new industries as they

begin to mature, it seems as if Netscape is the latest and greatest

casualty.

Just a few months ago, Netscape’s share of the browser market still stood

at 49 per cent. Today it is more like 24 per cent. AOL (which bought

Netscape) is soon to launch a Netscape-branded free ISP in the UK but it

is likely to be too little, too late.

Web site managers working on limited budgets should re-consider support

for Netscape. The conventional wisdom has been to ensure that sites work

for all browsers and machines. But with Apple on a three per cent market

share there can be little justification for the effort - that is, expense

- required to ensure that someone using Netscape on a Mac can see all the

features on a web site.

The key content of a site ought to be viewable in Netscape, but features

like multimedia and chat can now be optimised for Explorer only. If money

is no object, then ignore this advice, but if budgets are constrained

there are better things to be done than fiddle around with multi-browser

variants.

This is particularly true for consumer sites. I estimate that home users

are 50 per cent more likely to have the latest browsers and to be using

Explorer, compared to offices where older versions are more prevalent.

Once Microsoft controls the operating system, it will use its power to

influence what else works with it. That will effect the ways we use and

enjoy the web. One of the findings to emerge from an NOP survey of

school-age web users is the popularity of ’multi-tasking’ - 18 per cent of

children do nothing else while using the internet.

If Microsoft is left without a serious competitor, it will use its market

dominance to control content. Let us hope that one of the newer operating

systems, such as Linux, can lead a fightback in the name of free

competition.

Nick Rosen is a director of The Online Research Agency.

email:nick@online-agency.com or tel@0797 154703.

Indicator is sponsored by 247 Europe www.247Europe.com The Online

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