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NEWS > TECHNOLOGY > INTERNET EXPLORER 6 IN FOR THE FIGHT OF ITS LIFE
INTERNET EXPLORER 6 IN FOR THE FIGHT OF ITS LIFE
August 12 2009
Redmond, WA – For most people the web browser is the most important piece of software on their computer. From the beginning of the Web the browser has been the portal to access content and its growth and evolution has mirrored and propelled the
advance of the web itself. From the earliest days of Netscape Navigator to the modern day Firefox and Chrome the web browser has been responsible for the growth in power of the web and helped solidify it as one of the most important applications in human history.
Of course not all browsers are made equal. With an ever evolving web and new users demanding more and more versatility the software used to access that content has had to keep pace. New programming languages and the growth of streaming video have become a part of the ecology of the web and browsers have had to change to such demands. Some though have steadfastly refused to change with the times. Released in 2001, Internet Explorer 6 was fraught with problems from the beginning. Despite that its adoption was a immediate and widespread. Now with new browsers available and fresh versions of Explorer readily available, the old stalwart is steadfastly refusing to change.
“As any Web developer will tell you, working with IE 6 is one of the most difficult and frustrating things they have to deal with on a daily basis, taking up a disproportionate amount of their time. Beyond that, IE 6's support for modern Web standards is very lacking, restricting what developers can create and holding the Web back,” said an anti-IE6 advocate. “This isn't an anti-Microsoft campaign," he said. "Microsoft makes some fantastic products. The latest version of their browser is a good browser. But with regards to IE 6, it is an awful browser and no one should be using it.”
Microsoft, the creator of the browser has also distanced itself from the software and encourages users to upgrade to the newest version of Explorer, version 8. Despite that it is estimated that up to 25 per cent of web users still rely on the now antiquated browser.
“Think about 2001. The World Trade Center was still standing, Dale Earnhardt was still alive. There was no war in Afghanistan. YouTube and Facebook didn’t exist. The world has changed dramatically since that time but for some people things are still the same and the way things are going it doesn’t look like that situation will be remedied anytime soon,” said Kelton Kingsman, webmaster for one of the biggest anti-IE6 websites, IE6Sux.com. “The real problem is that all kinds of companies use it as their standard browser and it’s very expensive to upgrade. Many of them don’t see the advantages of upgrading so it just persists endlessly. It’s like a nightmare that you can never wake up from. Broken websites, plugin problems, there’s really no end to the issues with IE6 and we need to change that.”
Internet Explorer 6 has had no comment on attempts to kill it off, due in large part to it being an inanimate piece of software and not because it is simply obstinate.
“Very few people are wearing the same underwear they were wearing in 2001 but they are largely willing to use the same browser. That is the core problem and the reason that it has been able to persist for such a long time and part of the reason it may do so for a long time to come. It’s a kind of upgrade apathy,” said Scrape TV Technology analyst Ken Kevins. “There is a real risk that this could limit the growth of the web but unfortunately the browser just seems totally unwilling to just go away and retire like all other old browser have done in the past.”
IE8, like its older brother, also had no comment on its siblings’ status.
Martin Philton, Technology Correspondent
NEWS > TECHNOLOGY > INTERNET EXPLORER 6 IN FOR THE FIGHT OF ITS LIFE
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