War on IE6
On Slashdot there’s a discussion about how websites are actively trying to convert IE6 users to a more recent browser. Figuring out how to convince Internet Explorer 6 users to upgrade to a more recent browser is a good topic because supporting IE6 is both expensive and time consuming given its many idiosyncrasies and poor adherence to standards. I suspect more and more websites will try to help their users upgrade to IE7, IE8, or Firefox.
However, people looking to convert their own users should keep a few things in mind:
1.) Many people using IE6 don’t know how to upgrade. This includes everyone who either doesn’t know how to run Microsoft Update or is simply too afraid to go download the right software. I think of people like my grandmother who runs an out of date copy of Windows ME and refuses to upgrade to anything newer. People like this need lots of hand holding, and for many of them IE7 may be too much for their out of date PCs.
2.) Other people may not be allowed to upgrade. IE6 is a standard at many large companies, and overzealous IT departments may fear trying to standardize around IE7 or Firefox. What’s worse is that many legacy web tools were written specifically for IE6, and the companies responsible may no longer exist making upgrading impossible.
Legacy web browsers will always exist, so web developers looking to make sure their products work for all of their customers will probably be doing cross browser testing for a long time to come. Still, encouraging people to upgrade to a more recent and more secure web browser is a great goal.
Are you still running IE6? I would love to know why – tell me in the comments below.
