Will Someone Write Section 508 for Dummies? Please?

And include the following chapter: "How Following 508 and WC3 Accessibility Guidelines Makes Everyone Who Surfs Your Site Happier?"

I ran into the following code today... on the same page!

<NOSCRIPT>

<P>You will Not be able to view the navigational elements since your browser

does Not support javascript. Please consider upgrading your browser version.</P>

</NOSCRIPT>

<!-- The following anchor tag is for Section 508 compliance -->

<A class=ftr href="javascript:popitup('popup/browser.asp')">Browser Requirements</A>

Someone doesn't GET it. If you have an audience where you need to follow Section 508 rules by law (and everyone SHOULD follow Section 508 rules by CHOICE) , there is enough in the guidelines to tell you that it's NOT ok to put all your menus in javascript, degrade all the links to javascript pop-outs, and still think you're following 508. (Exactly what screen reader, cell phone, or text viewer supports full-on javascript?)

Why did I even notice? I noticed because I like to open links in a new window -- which this site also helpfully disabled. Yes, they disabled the entire option of right-clicking on the site. I'm not sure what the point is of EVER doing that. I'm very clever, if I still want to screenshot your site, steal an image, copy the text, print the page, view your source, I'm going to. You can't stop me. So whatever the point of disabling right-click is, rethink your logic.

And, not to knock anyone personally, but your site has no fancy graphics or cool code or even really content, just a form I need. So what, exactly, are you trying to prevent with this no-right-click stuff? Oh, I know! You don't want me to USE your site like I want to, only like you THINK I should. Why? Why does it matter?

I'm flashing back to the IT guy I once knew who thought the coolest thing about Citrix was that he could make everyone have the same color desktop. Again, why? Why, why, why? (Aren't the data entry people's lives harsh enough without making them squint all day at the bright blue background you like?)

Service is not CONTROL. If you can't serve the people because the people are all different and they don't all think like you, you're not serving anyone.