Why web developers should NOT support IE6- anymore!
a blue screen of death for ie6 users!! (just ranting.. ;-)
Ok, i have been developing for a long time. When i approached the web I've been using MOSAIC ! Who knows it? It was the "first" modern browser - it introduced a revolution: "images and text were shown togheter!"
WOW! Does it sound "ugly"? Maybe. But now is common to view video, text, photos, feeds and so on all togheter in the same page. No one before MOSAIC thougth about "multimedia" showing. And now we can say that no one use it anymore!
If you think a bit deeper MOSAIC,Microsoft IE -all versions-, Safari, Firefox all of them simply show "content", multimedia content.
Now let's think about a DVD Player, a BLURAY player.. and VHS player. They all show content (usually video content). AND... is a FACT that you can't use a VHS player to play a DVD. You can't use DVD player to play a BLURAY disc. And is a FACT that movies companies sometimes sell film in just one form factor...! And if you want to PLAY that movie (at home) you need the right "player" -and you have to buy it, pay it, mount it, testing it and bla bla bla!
Now here is the "short" point. IE6 is a VHS player. It "plays" smooth just old sites. If a web developer simply follow the actual "standards" he can't be sure IE6 renders the page as he wishes. It can renders (sometimes) newer sites, but you need workarounds, hacks, pngfix, special instructions ([if IE 6]). So a (pro) developer (speaking from a movie point of view) always produces compatible versions "downgrading" of the website. And this slows down the web!!
Now is time web developers "force" users to upgrade theier "web players"! How? They have two alternatives:
- using the BSOD for IE6 -not quite polite..just a joke but it works ;-) !
- ignoring ie6 rendering engine and forcing people using ie6 to ask sons / relatives / friends / colleagues "why does this site look ugly...?"...and BE SURE someone will fast install a better browser!
It's funny, but alternatives and newer players (ops.. browsers) are FREE! You don't have to buy them or pay them. Just download and install. So you have no excuses! Download one of the following and be an happy surfer!