Apparently, an interesting side-effect of the Windows XP Clear Type font smoothing is that since smaller type is more readable than it used to be, web designers are using smaller type. In the throes of creeping middle age, I find this makes it less readable. Fortunately, most browsers will let you increase font size (usually under the "View" menu), and if the web site designer is good, that won't screw up the page.

I wonder if a lot of folks for whom this might be a problem (i.e., older folks) are also those who might not be savvy enough to know about Clear Type (to get a clearer font) and the "increase text size" option.

I was first alerted to these options by the "About this site" section of www.concertina.com .

~ Becky in Tucson