Two unfortunate facts face those who build websites: (a) each browser has its own characteristics, and (b) website visitors will use whatever browsers they choose or have available. The challenge of getting one's webpages to work in all browsers is daunting. With complex, dynamic, database-supported, software-driven websites such as those offered by Wetpaint.com, it simply isn't possible for websites to work equally well in all browsers.

Browsers differ in threeseveral fundamental ways (warning: technogarble ahead!):

• Basic features offered (example the Opera browser offers a sophisticated built-in email program);
• HTML processing - how the page formatting language basic to all webpages is converted into a visible page;
• CSS (cascading style sheet) rendering - CSS defines a page's layout. It's what gives a site it's "look and feel." Though there technically is a standard for how to render CSS, some browsers (notably Microsoft Internet Explorer) do not adhere to the standard. This makes it very difficult to make a page look good and function well on all browsers.
  
• Javascript features and performance (Javascript, a programming language, is built into most modern browsers, but how it is interpreted varies a bit from browser to browser).

The last twothree considerations particularly impact how well Wetpaint works in a browser.

Recommended browsers:
(as of December 2006 - note that these recommendations may change over time)

• Windows platform computers - MS IE6 or 7; or Firefox 1.0.7 or higher.
• MacIntosh computers - Firefox 1.0.7 or higher.