Catch-22: The Web Developers Nightmare That Is Microsoft
Microsoft waited 6 years before upgrading Internet Explorer to version 7. This latest version is less then spectacular. It still ignores web standards yet because IE comes installed on most computers it still benefits from majority market share.
All other browsers are adding new features, fixes and enhancements at a much higher rate than is seen from Redmond. All other browsers can do things that Internet Explorer cannot do.
As a web developer I would love to bring a better internet to users. But I’ve spent roughly 80% of my time this year fighting Internet Explorer bugs. Internet Explorer cannot even reference an element on a page without doing something wrong so imagine how hard it is to provide users with a kick ass user interface.
I’m recommending that all web developers fight back in 2008. Microsoft has lied to us. This software giant only knows how to profit from desktop applications which is why it undermines the web in any way it can. We must break off Microsoft’s browser dominance and educate the world about the benefits of using a standard compliant browser.
All in our corners we’ll just be swimming against the current. We require a concerted effort to encourage Internet Explorer users into upgrading to compliant browsers. I’m not sure what the best strategy is but I know there is a profound desire for change from the web community.
Ideas that have been thrown around:
- adding standard compliant code on personal site/blogs that breaks internet explorer display
- use plenty of transparent PNGs in your user interface without adding extra filters
- add banners to our personal sites that only appear for IE users
- code your personal sites for Firefox and ignore IE users altogether
- add standard code to blogs and popular sites so that IE users cannot see the pages without breakage
- explicitly alert IE users that their browser sucks
Every web developer I’ve talked to said they’d be ready to add a banner to their personal blog that educates IE users about web standards. Could 2008 be the year we start doing this? Let’s get back our web.
on December 18th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I think that every suggestions that include to ignore IE for your personal site is a error. You will loose too many users. We must find solution that make evolve people and not restrict developers or owner of web site.
Transparent png are supported on IE7 i think. Explicitly alert IE users is the best way I think. Maybe to put a different picture that show the difference.
The problem is not just that IE came with the computer but that every single big enterprise like Hydro Quebec use IE. The use will use the same platform at home that he use at is office because of is bookmark and everything.
I don’t have any other clue how to help user understand that IE is not the solution. Every user on a mac computer use safari, witch is a great browser, but that the one coming with Mac too.
Sorry for bad English, I am French.
on December 20th, 2007 at 12:35 am
I particularly like the idea of banner ads :-)
Imagine a provider that could very easily supply anyone with banner ads that break IE by following standards, just in the embedded section, no effort involved.
I think that would suddenly make it very easy even for people that administer a site but don’t have the time to change what’s in place.
Maybe when people start seeing it popup a couple times a week from places they respect, they’ll start to say “oh, what the hell, I’ll give it a shot.”
The only problem is that the people we must reach don’t typically care about the sites that would be willing to display them.
Also “unfortunately”, they announced today that IE8 passed the ACID2 test*. They seem like they may be heading in the right direction. That is, if they keep going that way and don’t just find a new way of backstabbing the web community again.
* http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/12/19/internet-explorer-8-and-acid2-a-milestone.aspx
on December 20th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Acid2 compliance is a big step in the right direction but this doesn’t meant that all of the important bugs will be fixed. I’m thinking a good test that sets the bar high for IE in the JS/CSS department would be a good thing.