IE 6 Update
21–30 of 34 posts
Re: IE 6 Update
#22"IE6 is like an illness that won't go away" - so true. :)
Re: IE 6 Update
#23In my consulting work I see a lot of usage data from sites of all sizes, and there is a correlation between dial-up users and IE6 users. I assume that dial-up users don't download Microsoft updates because of the download time and the frequency of updates. At this point, it's probably fair to say that IE6 users will only upgrade if they get broadband or replace their computer with one that has a better browser pre-in…
In my experience, if you ask the people who use IE6 why they don't upgrade most of them will respond with something like "What's IE6? Oh you mean Internet Explorer. What's wrong with the one I have?" and then if you finally convince them they they should upgrade you have to explain to them how to do it, which for most people who are still using IE6 can be a big challenge. My grandmother uses IE6. She says it works an…
She doesn't care that you app doesn't render properly
I think this is the most important point, but it is made so rarely!Most people who have IE6 are either too ignorant to care if your site renders incorrectly or know that they are forced to use this browser for some reason. The former group probably isn't using your next gen web 2.0 fancy pants app anyway, and the later group has seen so many broken websites (at work) that they look right past the problems or try again when they get home.
In general, all you need to do is ensure your site WORKS AT ALL in IE6. It doesn't need to look perfect, just not be broken. But honestly, I might just serve them the mobile version with a warning on top...
Re: IE 6 Update
#24While well-intentioned, this phishing-like technique seems at the very least a disingenuous method of getting people to switch. I think there are other ie-update js floating around that get the point across without having to masquerade.
Re: IE 6 Update
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
In my experience, if you ask the people who use IE6 why they don't upgrade most of them will respond with something like "What's IE6? Oh you mean Internet Explorer. What's wrong with the one I have?" and then if you finally convince them they they should upgrade you have to explain to them how to do it, which for most people who are still using IE6 can be a big challenge. My grandmother uses IE6. She says it works an…
She doesn't care that you app doesn't render properly I think this is the most important point, but it is made so rarely! Most people who have IE6 are either too ignorant to care if your site renders incorrectly or know that they are forced to use this browser for some reason. The former group probably isn't using your next gen web 2.0 fancy pants app anyway, and the later group has seen so many broken websites (at w…
Re: IE 6 Update
#26This is just too phishy and does instill bad habits in users who (using IE6) already don't have good habits.
Re: IE 6 Update
#27The simplest thing we can do against IE6 is: don't support it anymore. Build your sites like if IE6 does not exist and the problem will auto-fix in short time.
But if your site doesn't work on IE6, and your competitor's site (of comparable quality) does, you're going to lose traffic to him.
I mean, this is basically the prisoner's dilemma. Nobody wins unless we all win together.
Re: IE 6 Update
#28I saw someone using XP the other day who didn't know that other browsers existed (other than IE) and Safari was even installed but she didn't know how it got there (I suspect quicktime) or what it was. The IE(7) she had crashed on virtually every link she clicked on due to an old toolbar that probably only worked properly with IE6. The machine was also dead slow due to 512MB memory and loads of task-tray stuff.
Although she already had IE7 I could easily imagine, similar users not being capable of doing upgrades especially on dial up or not wanting to because it might break.
I would have thought the best thing a lot of people could do for the web is actually offer to sort out a few of their non-techy friends computers, which I think would be more effective than a warning message.
Re: IE 6 Update
#29In my consulting work I see a lot of usage data from sites of all sizes, and there is a correlation between dial-up users and IE6 users. I assume that dial-up users don't download Microsoft updates because of the download time and the frequency of updates. At this point, it's probably fair to say that IE6 users will only upgrade if they get broadband or replace their computer with one that has a better browser pre-in…
In my experience, if you ask the people who use IE6 why they don't upgrade most of them will respond with something like "What's IE6? Oh you mean Internet Explorer. What's wrong with the one I have?" and then if you finally convince them they they should upgrade you have to explain to them how to do it, which for most people who are still using IE6 can be a big challenge. My grandmother uses IE6. She says it works an…