A lot, if not all, webdesigners hate IE6. This version of Internet Explorer was released in late 2001 but still was one of the larger webbrowsers in 2009. This is w3 school’s table for this year, as you can see IE7 will probably go under IE6 in the next months:
| 2009 | IE7 | IE6 | IE8 | Firefox | Chrome | Safari | Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July | 15.9% | 14.4% | 9.1% | 47.9% | 6.5% | 3.3% | 2.1% |
| June | 18.7% | 14.9% | 7.1% | 47.3% | 6.0% | 3.1% | 2.1% |
| May | 21.3% | 14.5% | 5.2% | 47.7% | 5.5% | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| April | 23.2% | 15.4% | 3.5% | 47.1% | 4.9% | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| March | 24.9% | 17.0% | 1.4% | 46.5% | 4.2% | 3.1% | 2.3% |
| February | 25.4% | 17.4% | 0.8% | 46.4% | 4.0% | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| January | 25.7% | 18.5% | 0.6% | 45.5% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 2.3% |
Holding Back The Web
With such a large user-group it is not possible to ignore this version when making websites. This is one of the most difficult and frustrating things (front end) Developers have to deal with on a daily basis. Beyond that, IE 6’s support for modern web standards is very lacking, restricting what developers can create and holding the web back.
Webdesigners Unite!
There are several initiatives to kill IE6 collectively. http://www.killie6.com/ is a good example where they ask you to include a script that will recommend visitors that are using this version to update their software.
This is very user friendly but a bit small. This initiative got a great response but did not manage to create a large effect.
The Most recent initiative http://www.ie6nomore.com/ also asks webdevelopers to implement a code to show one of the (more effective) banners that encourage users to download a new version. This campaign got a lot of attention because a number of respected Internet start-up companies have signed onto the campaign.
It is a bit to easy to think that this is just a group of people who envy microsoft and Microsoft products.
Dan Oliver, editor of .net, a UK magazine about Web design:
“This isn’t an anti-Microsoft campaign, 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.”
He added: “Ultimately, we’ve kind of waited long enough. That’s why there’s a big movement of support for it because the geeks out there have known about this for years and have been waiting for big sites to jump on and push it forward.”
In a statement to CNN, Microsoft said it also wants people to turn away from IE 6.
If you are a webdesigner, please join in and visit http://www.ie6nomore.com/ , get yourself a banner and help kill IE6 .
If you are reading this in IE6:
Sources:
CNN.com
ie6nomore.com
killie6.com
W3 Schools.com
Aug 08th by FTS