Unbelievably for a browser that was first launched in 2001, Internet Explorer 6 still commands up to 25% of the browser market.
This arises almost exclusively from business users, presumably in large organisations where the IT Department just can’t bring itself to upgrade Microsoft software on a large number of PCs. The fact that IE6 regularly finds itself in the “Top 10 Worst Technologies of All Time” list doesn’t appear to be an issue.
IE6’s problems are manifold, but here’s a brief synopsis:
o It doesn’t entirely support CSS2, which means that styling that works in every other standards compliant browser doesn’t work in IE6
o It doesn’t entirely support Javascript, which means that functionality that works in every other standards compliant browser doesn’t work in IE6
o Its full of functionality bugs, and Microsoft has stopped fixing any new ones that it finds
o Its full of security bugs, which Microsoft will fix, but very begrudgingly
What this means for the developer is that web applications have to be bent into shape to work in IE6, which is a bit like screwing the doors of your car shut because you can’t get central locking to work.
This adds lots of time (cost) to the process of web development, and results in web applications that are no where near as efficient, pretty, secure or functional as they good be if they didn’t have to be warped to work in IE6.
Up until now, the web development community has been fairly patient about this, and have agreed to accommodate web site owners who want to ensure that their sites work in as many browsers as possible.
However, with the advent of IE8 (and IE7 prior to this), that patience is fast running out, because at this point, accommodating IE6 is actually have a serious impact on the evolution of web applications.
As such, a campaign has been started to encourage developers to refuse to develop for IE6, and to use the time that would normally have spent on this to include instructions in their sites to encourage users to upgrade to IE7 or to use a different browser.
This is a worthwhile initiative. IE7 has been available for 3 years now, and IE8 has already been available for a year.
The web development community can’t be expected to accommodate corporate IT departments ad infinitum, and must stand united in order that this terrible technology is purged from the system.
There it is then. Join the campaign, and stop developing for IE6.