Re: lynx-dev User Agent

[Klaus Weide]

On Tue, 24 Aug 1999, Rick Lewis wrote:

> I can somewhat understand not wanting to change the user-agent from 
> maybe a programming or even a PR point of view, but really, the end 
> user just wants to access sites, and doesn't want to be locked out of 
> them. 
> I suspect most blocks are put there based on ignorance or misinformation. 

It seems (according to the reports on this list) that in the most recently
mentioned case the string "Lynx" triggers immediate disconnetion.  That
looks quite intentional to me.  Apparently they _want_ to lock you (and
me) out.  They have that right I suppose, no matter how much the _user_
_wants_ to access the site, unless someone can cite a law to the contrary.

And by just programming or tricking around it, we'll never know whether
the blocking perhaps _is_ an honest programming mistake on the site's
part.  They may never learn theat there are real Lynx users out there.

> You can't blame the end user for simply wanting access, 

I don't blame users for _wanting access_; otoh users should not blame
developers for being reluctant to put the workaround du jour into every
program.  If there is blame to go around then let's put it where it
belongs, on the sites that discriminate.

> and configuring 
> lynx to do it is often much easier than breaking down the walls of
> ignorance. 

Possibly easier, and probably less effective in the long run.

   Klaus