"If I was designing a web site for elementary school children, I might have a much higher percentage of older computers with outdated browsers since keeping up with browser and hardware technology has not traditionally been a strong point of most elementary schools"
About this Quote
Design isn’t happening in a vacuum; it’s happening in a computer lab that still smells faintly of dust and budget cuts. Mike Davidson’s line reads like a practical aside, but it’s really a quiet indictment of the way “the web” pretends everyone upgrades on schedule. The conditional framing - “If I was designing...” - is doing strategic work: it positions him as a reasonable practitioner, not a crusader, while smuggling in the real point that audience reality should dictate technical choices.
The intent is straightforward: user demographics include hardware and software, not just age or taste. But the subtext sharpens it. “Higher percentage” is the language of analytics and testing, a reminder that accessibility isn’t a moral accessory; it’s measurable. And the phrase “has not traditionally been a strong point” is politely barbed. He’s naming a structural issue (schools can’t keep up) without blaming teachers or kids, and without turning it into a partisan rant. The softness of the phrasing makes it harder to dismiss.
Contextually, this comes out of a web culture that often celebrates novelty - newest CSS, latest browser features - as if innovation is the same thing as progress. Davidson is pushing back with a designer’s version of equity: if your site breaks on outdated browsers, you’re not being “cutting-edge,” you’re gating access behind procurement cycles and underfunded IT departments. Elementary school children become the clarifying example because they’re the least empowered users in the room, dependent on institutions that upgrade last. The quote works because it translates a social reality into a technical requirement, then dares you to call that optional.
The intent is straightforward: user demographics include hardware and software, not just age or taste. But the subtext sharpens it. “Higher percentage” is the language of analytics and testing, a reminder that accessibility isn’t a moral accessory; it’s measurable. And the phrase “has not traditionally been a strong point” is politely barbed. He’s naming a structural issue (schools can’t keep up) without blaming teachers or kids, and without turning it into a partisan rant. The softness of the phrasing makes it harder to dismiss.
Contextually, this comes out of a web culture that often celebrates novelty - newest CSS, latest browser features - as if innovation is the same thing as progress. Davidson is pushing back with a designer’s version of equity: if your site breaks on outdated browsers, you’re not being “cutting-edge,” you’re gating access behind procurement cycles and underfunded IT departments. Elementary school children become the clarifying example because they’re the least empowered users in the room, dependent on institutions that upgrade last. The quote works because it translates a social reality into a technical requirement, then dares you to call that optional.
Quote Details
| Topic | Internet |
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