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The Browser You Loved to Hate

browseryoulovedtohate.com

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Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#41

Post by laumars »

emp_ wrote: post #21

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9FAOPBiDk&feature=youtu... absolutely hilarious and on the spot for haters in all fronts.

Not really no. Most of the criticisms that have been levelled against IE are technical in nature and very real (dragging their feet on web standards, breaking their own compatibility guidelines from version to version, etc).

Any piece of PR that has to resort to portraying their opponents as having the IQ of the average YouTube commenter, has automatically lost any credibility. Then to fall back on badly judged kitten memes was just cringe-worthy.

Nobody is disputing that IE has come along way. The issue isn't whether the latest version of the browser is capable, but rather whether we'd want to get back into bed with Microsoft given their past history. And thankfully there is so much choice in the market now, that people can choose not to use browsers for even the seemingly trivial reasons; such as historical prejudice.

Thus as long as there is competition in the market, I'm going to support the platforms that have a history of promoting a free and open web.

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#43

Post by azakai »

silverlight wrote: post #3

If they were going to rebuild it from the ground up anyway, would it really have killed them to just use Webkit?

> If they were going to rebuild it from the ground up anyway, would it really have killed them to just use Webkit?

First thing, Microsoft isn't willing to use an LGPL-licensed project. Perhaps if it was permissively-licensed, they've used BSD code before, but even so very unlikely.

Second, browsers are a crucial part of an OS. Microsoft wants to own their browser in the sense of not depending on an external development community to drive it. Microsoft has the resources to do so, so it does make sense.

Finally, even if they had used WebKit, it would have been bad for everyone but WebKit users. WebKit is already too dominant on mobile, sites only work on it, and that is a huge problem for the web. Yes, it's ironic given that IE was the previous dominant implementation. But still, we need diversity in the browser market to keep the web open, even if that diversity comes from Microsoft with it's sordid history.

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#44

Post by dexterchief »

JoelMcCracken wrote: post #34

The reason IE was bad was Microsoft's business practices. The problem is the carpenter, not the wood.

Amen Brother. IE was/is broken on purpose to prevent web apps from competing with Microsoft's bread and butter desktops apps, IMO. MS is scared they losing IE's drag on the momentum of the web. This is forcing them to update IE so its at least close enough to other browsers that it is not abandoned completely and suddenly I am supposed to be impressed?

Additionally, why is Microsoft marketing material making the front page of HN?

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#46

Post by yazmeya »

jeremiep wrote: post #31
islon wrote: post #14

Translating: "we never gave a fuck about web standards because we were a monopoly, now we realized we're losing the war and decided to improve things. Hope it's not too late..."

What annoys me is that most of the tiles are just variations of some "Comebacks come in many shapes and sizes" meme they invented. It always amaze me how Microsoft's marketing manages to be completely disconnected form reality time after time. I don't know any power-users who will switch to IE after seeing this website. If anything, they'll see this as an insult to their intelligence and stay even further away from I…

It's a bit like the Romney campaign, isn't it?

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#47

Post by JakeSc »

nthitz wrote: post #25

I think most of us can agree that IE 10 has come along way. The reason web developers hate IE is when we have to build sites for older versions of IE because people can't or won't upgrade. Sometimes clients require support for these older browsers. I have no problems with IE 10, but those older versions that just won't die are the problem.

> The reason web developers hate IE is when we have to build sites for older versions of IE because people can't or won't upgrade.

It's not just older versions of IE that we dislike developing for. It's been the current version of IE at the time that has always given me headaches as well. At this point, it's comical to me how backwards and standards-incompliant every subsequent release of the browser has been over the years. I share milesf's distrust.

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#48

Post by tzaman »

avens19 wrote: post #6
tzaman wrote: post #2

This time around MS did it right with IE10 - however they fucked it up with Windows 8 (on which it runs) really badly. Hopefully the version for windows 7 will be released sooner rather than later.

Can you explain this? As a Windows 8 user I'm wondering what the issue is.

Try asking a non-savvy user to use Metro. Or do anything when logged in to Windows 8 for the first time for that matter.

They mixed mobile and desktop approach within the same OS. Time will tell, but I'm not betting on it. I may be wrong though.

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#49

Post by greyboy »

WayneDB wrote: post #27
robertdpi wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...but you still have to upgrade your copy Windows

Not if you're running Windows 7. If you're running XP or Vista and you're happy with that, then you probably don't care very much about which browser you're using.

Interesting view. I certainly care about what browser I use on my XP installation. I (and my coworkers) have always cared which browser we use. But, we aren't Web 2.0.

Re: The Browser You Loved to Hate

#50

Post by emp_ »

laumars wrote: post #41
emp_ wrote: post #21

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9FAOPBiDk&feature=youtu... absolutely hilarious and on the spot for haters in all fronts.

Not really no. Most of the criticisms that have been levelled against IE are technical in nature and very real (dragging their feet on web standards, breaking their own compatibility guidelines from version to version, etc). Any piece of PR that has to resort to portraying their opponents as having the IQ of the average YouTube commenter, has automatically lost any credibility. Then to fall back on badly judged kitte…

Still hilarious, I see where you are coming from but it's just not about that -- this is a high value production of a recurring discussion in every single online forum, it's like seeing a book become a movie and the writers/directors managed to bring life to things exactly as you imagined them. I myself don't care that the ad is about IE, I suffered it all -- from xml data islands to lack of text shadows even today, so much that I can't bother to see that as PR just like my eyes learnt to skip banner ads after a few years. I was more amazed by the portrait than the product in question.
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