Web Browser Recommendations
When Viewing any LeeStreet.com Web Page

If you're not using a good browser, or not using it correctly, you might not see this page as intended.


Wherever you are, we want you to see our images clearly.
some photo

   

We write our code to be fully compatible with most Web browsers (and with WebTV), especially the three most popular ones. Therefore, we recommend you view this page with one of the following browsers.


Netscape Navigator
Opera Web Browser Microsoft Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator/
Communicator


To see our images at their best, set your browser to a resolution of 800x600 pixels.


WebTV
This homepage is WebTV-friendly.

Optimized Graphics

If you are viewing this page via America Online (AOL), please be aware that your browser's default is to display images in a compressed format. That mode coarsely reduces the clarity of images in order to make them display more quickly. We recommend you change that limiting feature of your AOL browser. To do so, click on the My AOL option on AOL's front screen, then select Preferences then WWW, then Web Graphics, then uncheck the Use Compressed Graphics option and click on OK.

Not only can graphics compression be ungainly, it's unnecessary! There are more sophisticated techniques to achieve very clear images which nevertheless display speedily. I do that with a utility called Gifbot at www.netmechanic.com. Below is an illustration of what image optimizing can do.

Original Optimized Too Optimized
Original image Image optimized 83% Image optimized 95%
100%
(takes 18 seconds to load)		 17%
(loads 5 times faster)		 5%
(even faster, but terrible image quality)

This image is not optimized. Its file size is 58k (57710 bytes), which means it will take approximately 18 seconds to load into your browser

This is the same image isoptimized to 17% of its former file size. The degradation in image quality is so slight as to be imperceptible to the human eye. Yet the file size is just 10k (9676 bytes), a dramatic 1/5 that of the original. It can load in a mere 3 seconds--not 18!

Of course, too much of a good thing can be bad. This image's file size is optimized to an astounding 5%! That makes its file size 3k (2520 bytes). It can load in only 1 second, but look at the loss in image quality to achieve such a feat.

Between the center and right images above, there are endless possible iterations pitting file size against image quality. It becomes more an art than a science.To me, the middle image seems like the most practical choice.

I'm computing all loading times in this illustration for a typical 28.8 baud modem. Your data transfer rate is probably much faster. Please note too that file size and image size are different aspects of images. The pictures here all have the same image size: 190 pixels wide by 238 pixels high. But their file sizes (and thus the time it takes them to download) vary greatly.

Browser Differences

Different browsers can display Web pages somewhat differently.
Here are some examples.

blinking
Netscape browsers (NS) can display blinking text; Microsoft browsers (IE) can't.
Example: This text is blinking, if you're using a Netscape browser.

marquee
Microsoft browsers can display moving text; Netscape browsers can't.
Example: This text moves, if your browser is Microsoft's.

borders
Microsoft browsers can display table borders in any color; Netscape browsers use a default.
Example:

The frame around this image is colored gold if viewed with Microsoft's browser.

indents
Netscape browsers handle indenting text better than Microsoft's.
Example:
This sentence will begin indented from the word "Example:" above it, if you are using a Netscape browser.

background
Microsoft browsers can display a fixed background when the page is scrolled; Netscape browsers always scroll the background along with the foreground.
Example: Try scrolling this page up and down; you'll see that the images at left don't scroll if you're using a Microsoft browser.


Worldwide friendly.

Of course, these differences between IE and NS may change as new versions are released. Other browsers (like WebTV) will evolve with their own quirks. Script languages (like Java) can ameliorate browser differences by mimicking everything above in either IE or NS (provided the displaying browser is sufficiently advanced to use the script); plus, script languages can do many nifty tricks that no browser could otherwise handle. I use scripts sparingly because so many browsers still have trouble with them and I don't want to introduce any unnecessary technical glitches. Likewise, I avoid many browser-specific or ISP-specific features (like those I've listed above) to better ensure a universal appearance. (Visitors from Venice should see the same layout as visitors from Singapore.)

Image Sizes Conventions

Although the images here often vary in height and width, I follow some loose conventions:

Conventions for Photographs

Tiny

Most of these images are 30 x 40 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is larger than 40.

Tiny Tiny link images.

This image is 27 wide x 40 high.

Thumbnail

Most of these images are 75 x 100 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is larger than 100.

Thumbnail
For thumbnail references.

This image is 62 wide x 100 high.

Small

Most of these images are 200 x 200 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is smaller than 200.

Small
Heading up propeties.

This image is 200 wide x 200 high.

Medium

Most of these images are 200 x 300 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is smaller than 200.

Medium
For less important images.

This image is 200 wide x 309 high.

Intermediate

Most of these images are within 250 x 400 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is smaller than 250.

Intermediate
For certain special images.

This image is 263 wide x 380 high.

Large

Most of these images are 360 x 480 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is outside that range.

Large
For certain special features requiring a lot of detail.

This image is 360 wide x 480 high.

Full-Size

Most of these images are 480 x 640 pixels, but can vary a little. I try to make sure no dimension is smaller than 480.

Full-Size
Full-size exhibit images.

This image is 480 wide x 640 high.