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Job Hopeful Mac Users Left Out

stncttr908   on 28 October 2005 - 15:30 · 36 comments & 4431 views

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At a number of large companies, job hunters using Macs will have a hard time submitting their applications. Companies such as American Express, Target, and Sears all use the services of talent management firm BrassRing to handle their online job applications. However, BrassRing's current software system does not support Mac browsers. Mac users visiting these American Express's application forms are greeted by a rather humorous message suggesting they head to their local public library or internet cafe. Visitors to the Sears and Target application pages receive no such warning. Instead, Mac's Safari browser will simply crash or throw an error at the user.

A representative from BrassRing stated that support had no been added for Mac browsers due to lack of demand. However, Mac's market share has been steadily gaining. Shipments were up 48 percent in the third quarter of this year, and Apple's total market share rose to 4.3 percent. BrassRing spokesman Doug Jensen said that company's Enterprise 8 software, due out in December, would be Firefox compatible. This still of course requires Mac users to download additional software, but it is a better alternative to taking a stroll down to your local internet cafe or public library.

Representatives from Sears, American Express, and Target were not available for comment.

News source: CNET News.com


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Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 36 additional comments
(2 replies) #1 GatorV on 28 Oct 2005 - 15:40
QUOTE
Mac users visiting these American Express's application forms are greeted by a rather humorous message suggesting they head to their local public library or internet cafe. Visitors to the Sears and Target application pages receive no such warning. Instead, Mac's Safari browser will simply crash or throw an error at the user.




So what does the bank expect the customer to do or think, when they see this?, jump in joy and go to check their bank account at the public cafe where it can be hacked?
#1.1 roadwarrior on 28 Oct 2005 - 16:07
Where did this say anything about banks? It's talking about submitting job applications.
#1.2 h3kt1c on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:00
Learn to read, << removed >>.

Last edited by 36818 on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:22
(1 reply) #2 quigley0 on 28 Oct 2005 - 15:40
I've never even used safari, except to use it do download firefox for my powerbook

#2.1 Syphonic on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:02
Try Camino. It's designed for mac more than FireFox is.
(3 replies) #3 The_Decryptor on 28 Oct 2005 - 15:45
Why don't they just write it to the spec, it would then work in Safari, Firefox, Konqueror, etc.

then again, more work for them, so they can charge for it.
#3.1 Ryan92 on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:17
Well actually, the next version coming out in December will support Firefox.
#3.2 The_Decryptor on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:35
Yeah, that is a good thing.

lets just hope they dont do a UA check just for Firefox, seen it happen before, somebody codse a site in perfect HTML and CSS1, then do a UA check for only firefox for example, tell Safari users they need to upgrade, it's stupid
#3.3 sphbecker on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:03
Between the older version of IE on Mac (5.01 I think), Safari, FireFox and all the other, it is amazing that the page doesn't work. It is a really poorly written web page if it only works on IE 6.0 running on Windows.
(1 reply) #4 quigley0 on 28 Oct 2005 - 15:52
Also, I have IE for my powerbook. That will probably work right?
#4.1 machorro on 28 Oct 2005 - 16:03
from the article:
QUOTE
Despite the warning on the American Express site, some people reported being able to file an application online using Safari or Internet Explorer for the Mac, while others encountered glitches.


maybe you could try
(1 reply) #5 roadwarrior on 28 Oct 2005 - 16:09
QUOTE
Mac users visiting these American Express's application forms are greeted by a rather humorous message suggesting they head to their local public library or internet cafe.


The funny thing is, many internet cafes and public libraries use Macs for their internet terminals for the simple reason that they are easier to protect from viruses/trojans/spyware, etc.
#5.1 PCyr on 30 Oct 2005 - 03:41
Depends on your definition of many. I've never seen any
#6 Mongrel on 28 Oct 2005 - 16:33
Never mind
(4 replies) #7 Divide Overflow on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:06
What is a Mac?
#7.1 LTD on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:25
A lost opportunity.
#7.2 MaxMonster on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:30
lol!
#7.3 advancedboy on 28 Oct 2005 - 23:18
It's a type of computer manufactured by Apple, the same company who manufactures iPods.
#7.4 PCyr on 30 Oct 2005 - 03:44
Don't feed the trolls!
#8 akuma-x on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:34
Gap.com, oldnavy.com, and bananarepublic.com are also large sites that have now blocked Safari. Granted these sites do work fine if the client ID is changed to something like IE6 for Windows.
(3 replies) #9 Samoa on 28 Oct 2005 - 17:37
in short, don't buy mac and sell your current ones.
#9.1 Syphonic on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:03
Yes that's clearly the implication of this...
#9.2 LTD on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:51
The implication is that it is always easier to go with the *standard*

It is Apple's job to address industry and customer needs, and to provide viable, better, and more cost-effective alternatives to what is currently the standard.

#9.3 kirk26 on 28 Oct 2005 - 19:01
Uh no. That would be the web coder's job, not Apple's.
(3 replies) #10 MaxMonster on 28 Oct 2005 - 18:28
Conform or be assimilated.

Why make your site support such a very tiny size of the world user base anyway? It's should be apples job to fix it.

#10.1 roadwarrior on 28 Oct 2005 - 23:37
Yeah, OK. Why make a site that doesn't conform to standards, and only works correctly on a single web browser (no matter what that browser's supposed market share is)?
#10.2 MaxMonster on 29 Oct 2005 - 20:58
Last time I checked IE is still the most used by a landslide. IMO that makes it the standard.
#10.3 karmakillernz on 29 Oct 2005 - 21:51
QUOTE
Yeah, OK. Why make a site that doesn't conform to standards, and only works correctly on a single web browser (no matter what that browser's supposed market share is)?

You do realise XHTML/HTML are not official standards, right? The W3 themselves only call them recommendations.

IE, having the largest usage/market share, can be considered the de-facto standard. Therefore, these sites are following standards.
(1 reply) #11 toadeater on 28 Oct 2005 - 19:08
Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly. Right...
#11.1 Jstphish on 28 Oct 2005 - 22:27
Pretty much what I was thinking. It is sad that everything is coded poorly because IE is most widely used (*cough* comes with the OS *cough*).
#12 Shadrack on 28 Oct 2005 - 19:33
someone needs to fire their web guys. Making a web application that will support all major web browser is easy. They just have lazy developers.
#13 MOGua on 28 Oct 2005 - 20:38
sucks for mac users...

I guess they don't give a **** about you.

but I do, my site is valid XHTML 1.0, so rock on mac users!
#14 Jstphish on 28 Oct 2005 - 22:28
Good thing I already have a job with one of them What really sucks is when you try to access your benefits and you are forced to use IE because only that is complient.
#15 Sp3ctranova on 29 Oct 2005 - 06:50
HA-HA.
#16 PCyr on 30 Oct 2005 - 03:48
Did anyone else read the title as "Jobs Hopeful Mac Users Are Left Out"
#17 wicker_man on 31 Oct 2005 - 12:05
Doug Jensen said they didn't include support for Mac browsers due to lack of demand! I mean, how more pathetic can it get if a company develops this kind of software? And it's not that Mac didn't exist when they developed it...

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