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Help rid the world of IE6 with one line of javascript (code.google.com)
27 points by staunch on March 21, 2009 | hide | past | favorite | 14 comments



My problem with this is I think that many people will simply think it is some kind of malware or infected page and stop going to the site they found it on altogether.


Even if they don't think it is malware they're going to bounce and bounce hard. If they're on my website they're on their way to conversion, period -- why the heck would I want to say "Excuse me, I don't want you clicking that checkout button just yet. First, go to microsoft.com. Then, click a download and go through three prompts. Then, do a twenty minute install. Then, restart your computer. Then, find this site again and I will accept your money."

IE6 users gave me about 5,000 reasons to be tolerant last year.


Unfortunately I don't think any of the customers I do sites for would want that overlayed on their shop.

If google put it on their search page, we might get somewhere!


I'd wait for that updated CSS version. The one they showcase on the site looks like Nigerian Spam to me. Not a good way to promote FFX or Chrome.


That's a terrible idea. Think of the user experience for somebody who actually uses IE and likes it. Your website will essentially be telling people that they are stupid.

There are sites that do this to anybody not using Firefox and all they do is piss me off and force me to make a note never to come back.

If you run a website for a living, you need to support web browsers. That's your job. It doesn't matter if they've only got a few % market share, that's just the way it works. If you can't support IE6, that's your problem not mine. Fix your site instead of complaining to your customers.


> It doesn't matter if they've only got a few % market share, that's just the way it works.

Well, no. I used to share your opinion on this, but not anymore. The thing is, supporting a certain browser costs time and (therefore) money. At some point, the revenue earned from a certain browser gets below the costs of supporting it.

As an Opera user, I do encounter sites that don't work. Though it happens rarely, it does annoy me. But I do understand the choice made.

As for IE6: of the mainstream browsers it's the one holding back web developers on the most points. Newer browsers have many features that would break IE6 if used. That's where the anger and annoyance with IE6 comes from. Even if it is irrational, it is understandable.

Personally, I love initiatives like this (even though this is the gazillionth "badger IE6 users" Javascript out there) and I hope many people join them, but I won't join them myself. I hope it speeds up the marginalization of IE6, so I can stop supporting it. Currently, the browser is just making me too much money to ignore. Even if it annoys me...



Since we do not have access to IE6 and know our latest version is messed up in it we are forwarding IE6 users to our old version( /ie6Index). The site is functional but asks them to upgrade.


Is this some kind of joke? The Google Code page is broken for me on Safari 3. http://i40.tinypic.com/2zfrgwl.png


I'm getting "your browser is outdated..." on IE8 as well. Doesn't seem to be a good idea or at least it's a shoddy implementation.


I think it's a demo that comes up for everything.


How did Flash 9 get to have such high installation levels? One word -- YouTube.

How do you get people to nuke IE6 -- YouTube. More accurately: convince the big sites to take this seriously and force users to upgrade.

But committees and accountants won't allow this to happen -- so to all the designers out there, enjoy a few more years of dealing with this crap rocket of a browser!


If Google supports this, why don't they use it on Google.com?


I applaud the effort, but it should give visitors the option to download Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera as well, and explain them why they are considered better options.




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