Screen Mysteries
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Some time ago, when the Frames fell out of grace, I started thinking about formulating a imaginative page layout technique that will offer great majority - if not all, the benefits of frames, without having to resort to frames. At that point, the idea appeared to be an exercise in futility, biggest challenge being to control the Default Scrollbars of browsers. However, the idea simmered in the back of my mind. Finally I came up with an intuitive solution that worked. (I actually used in the design of a web site that was rather short lived, due to conditions beyond my control.) However, the scientific hat that I can not seem to get rid of, forced me to question myself: I had to either prove or disprove - beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this intuitive solution was the only possible solution.

So I started a series of experiments, which at the beginning, seemed to be somewhat lengthy but rather straight forward. However, I quickly realized that I had fallen into an abyss of frustration. After a series of what I term as my "Chasing-The-Tail Experiments" - since I kept on chasing my tail due to interferences from other factors unrelated to the subject, I had to go back to square one many times, and try to identify, isolate these UBO's and organize my experiments/studies under three separate categories:

These three sets of in-depth and detailed experiments/studies listed, not only proved me right, but also produced a wealth of data, and uncovered some very disturbing Fundamental Flaws of Browsers. In addition we also came across some "skeleton in the closet": The existence of Phantom of Opera - a hidden element that appears to sit at the top of the hierarchy of elements in Opera 7.54 - above the html element.

Bottom Line

I strongly recommend that you spend some good time looking at these experiments/studies. I must say that, as much as I tried to remain neutral and scientific, they still may read like an "exposé" . But as they say truth may be stranger then fiction. My main aim was to see who does what to who and how and - and if possible, why?

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