arkitrave :: log

cvs.com, the online presence for one of the largest drugstore chains in the country, won’t let me in.

I’m using Opera for browsing right now, and though I have Safari and it appears to get past the browser sniffing dogs, I will move on to another drugstore’s site anyway. In fact, their browser sniffer is so good that Opera identifying itself as Netscape or IE still is blocked. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing on the site that would be dangerous to Opera. It’s ugly table markup, but it’s nothing Opera can’t handle.

Their upgrade message reads as follows:

We recently upgraded the architecture on our Web site to make it easier for you to use and to allow for more secure purchases. These changes also allow us to begin developing new functionality and viewing options. Even with these technical improvements, CVS.com remains compatible with the majority of browsers and platforms that are currently used.

Our site is currently optimized to these browser types and above:

If you currently use Netscape Navigator, click here to update it to version 4.5 or newer on a PC or Macintosh computer.

If your browser is Internet Explorer, click here to update it to version 5.0 or newer on a PC or Macintosh computer.

Upgrading your browser doesn’t cost you anything, and it provides you with these key advantages:

Significant improvement in your Web browsing experience using cascading style sheets

Highest security available for credit card transactions (a current Security Certificate will accompany the browser upgrade)

CVS.com is committed to your satisfaction, and we want you to have a pleasant and secure shopping experience with us. We sincerely regret any inconvenience that this situation may have caused. Your interest in our site is appreciated.

Thank you for visiting!

This sounds like an advertisement for browsehappy.com, not an encouragement to download Netscape 4.7 or IE 5!

The irony of it all is the promise of Cascading Style Sheet support. Wait, who invented CSS?