January 6th, 2009

Will 2009 liberate us from Internet Explorer 6?

John Benson

This is my inaugural post and I am writing about this topic because it has been on my mind a bunch lately. Really, when will this browser die? Will 2009 be the year developers slam their coffees down and say, "No Way Man!" Will Windows 7 and IE8 show up and deliver where IE7 and Vista failed miserably?

I was a PC user for nearly 10 years before buying my first Macintosh. And I rocked my PC and Mac in tandem until the intel chipset and the virtual machine stuff made it possible to own a single computer. I grew up amidst the Netscape and Internet Explorer mayhem of the 90's and I cut my teeth the first half of the decade tearing apart the 'net with IE6 as my chariot.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 was in 2001. And it is long overdue for retirement.

http://ajaxian.com/archives/i-wont-support-ie-6-in-2009

Ajaxian posted a cute article to kick-start the new year, indicating that IE6's numbers are down further than ever before. (Exciting!) But of course that's not always the case, especially where building web based applications for Corporate or Academic institutions are concerned.

How much can javascript hacks bubble gum IE6 into behaving on the modern web?

And How effective is simply denying visitors access to information or services if someone continues to use the old browser?

[caption id="attachment_85" align="alignnone" width="350" caption="Basecamp phasing out IE6"]

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I know there has already been an infinite amount of discussion, griping, moaning, kicking, screaming on this topic so I am going to finish up.

I am just excited for this year and what it could bring - As a web developer, a designer, a user of the vast internet, and a citizen of the world. I love what I do for a living and I have enjoyed my involvement with these technologies as they have matured over the last 14 or so years.

So I'm holding my breath, I'm crossing my fingers. Let's all plan a massive geek party to celebrate this year, 2009, when Internet Explorer 6 dies.

John Benson

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