aloha, george!
it is possible to disable menu items (such as "View Source") using
javascript embedded in a web document.
you will also often discover that many pages that use 128-bit security (any
URL with an https rather than an http prefix) often disables access to
document source, but unfortunately, the most reason authors disable the
visitor's ability to view their documents' source code is to protect their
copyright over the encoding (this is a matter that is under debate in many
state courts - who owns the source code? is it the intellectual property
of the encoder, or does the act of paying for the encoder's services endow
the subsidiser of the web site ownership of the source code? is source
code akin to content written in quote natural unquote language (such as
copy provided a publication - in many instances, the copy becomes the
property of the magazine, whereas in others, it is retained by the author,
which is why it always pays to read the fine print, no matter how large a
CCTV or how loud a screen reader you need to do so!
some authors and corporate entities defend preventing access to document
source with the excuse that it prevents phishers (with a p h) from making
mock sites, intended to dupe individuals out of money and personal
information, so closely resemble the look and feel of the legitimate site,
thereby making it easier for criminals to defraud honest customers by
misdirecting them via an emailed link to a fraudulent site, where the
customer is asked to quote restore unquote all of his or her commercial and
personal information.
you have, as i'm sure you already know, identified one of the biggest
problems with acurately and specifically diagnosing coding problems on
inaccessible pages; when access to a page's document source is prevented,
one is forced to make a diagnosis based on comparative behavior between
several different screen-readers and, often, several different browsers (at
least those listed as "requirements" or "suggestions" for "best viewing"
and interacting with the site in question.
gregory.
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CORPORATION, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual
profit without individual responsibility.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_
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Gregory J. Rosmaita, [log in to unmask]
Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/index.html
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