My original plan was to do a quick blog post on the reasons why I no longer wish to support IE6…. lack of support for current web-standards, no PNG transparency support, a range of other bizarre problems and quirks that can make developers weep with frustration, and the fact that there are heaps of better alternatives (IE7, Firefox, Chrome, Safari etc). But then I came across TheManInTheSea‘s great response to a FAQ on his site which I liked so much that I thought I’d share it.
Do you do any support for Internet Explorer 6?
When IE6 first came on the scene in in early 2001, websites were built with tables and I could bring toe-nail clippers on an airplane. Web Standards was still just a dream to many designers and Microsoft controlled much of the market share (close to 95%). Fortunately, that was almost ten years ago… and surprisingly the internet has changed. Sadly, IE6 delivers such a poor view of the internet that some foreign dictators have been known to offer prison time to anyone caught surfing with it. The latest statistics have shown that IE6 is loosely connected to permanent brain damage, global warming and the recent economic hardship that much of the global economy is experiencing. That’s why every one should upgrade to FF or IE7.
So in short. No I don’t. Sorry.
Hear, hear.
Posted January 27, 2009 at 8:36 am | Permalink
sadly 20 % of users will see your webpage through the eye of an IE6
Posted January 28, 2009 at 7:00 am | Permalink
It is sad that so many internet users continue to use a browser that was first released in 2001, especially when there are so many alternatives.
While I'm not suggesting that designers deliberately exclude IE6 users, I don't think that they should constrain their design/functionality due to the limitations of IE6 or spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get their sites to work in an out of date browser.
If designers keep designing sites for IE6 then users will keep using it. However, it can be a problem where IE6 users don't know that their browser is out-dated and just think that your website sucks! In these cases, a 'best viewed with IE7 or FF3' badge or link can help to encourage IE6 users to upgrade.
Posted March 7, 2009 at 6:06 pm | Permalink
Very cool design – you have a typo on the sidebar on home
Optimization
Posted March 7, 2009 at 6:18 pm | Permalink
Thanks Craig. I think it's actually the British/Australian way of spelling optimization (I'm in Australia). See American and British spelling variations