Another important factor for making web design decisions is knowing how your site is going to be used. Site users tend to fall into two broad categories: those who are on a mission for information, and those who are surfing the Web for entertainment. In general, sites that serve the latter audience have more opportunity to try out cutting-edge or plug-in technologies that improve the overall user experience of the site. For informational sites, you wouldn’t want to base the availability of the information on a client-side technology.
Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to this overly generalized rule. For instance, WebMonkey (http://www.webmonkey.com/ ) is an informational site that uses a DHTML-based interface, based on the assumption that its developer audience is using the latest tools. WebMonkey also uses browser detection to serve alternative versions for those without DHTML capabilities. So just because you have a “serious” site doesn’t mean you should abandon new technologies entirely.
Another unique case is a site that is about the technology being used, such as a VRML environment. In this situation, you have every right to expect users to use the appropriate browser or plug-in to catch up with your content. (Although, it still might be nice to at least provide some screenshots to show the others what they’re missing!)
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