This isn't just a corporate phenomenon, state and local governments use IE 8 almost exclusively. There are a lot of bored government workers browsing the web on IE 8 during the week.
Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
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Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#22And from a startup point of view, legacy IE means Enterprises, Enterprise means big price tags: 1) Because they are Enterprises. 2) Because nobody wants to support those browsers. If you think it's a declining market that'll be dead in 18 months, we have contracts to support IE 6 until 2019, not to mention 7 and 8.
For ultimate job security, write your ActiveX controls in COBOL.
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#23As a non-choice user of IE6, I can confirm that this is annoying. Especially when articles about old versions of IE don't render in the browser.
Same in IE7.
"Error: 'd3' is undefined"
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#24The words "older", "versions" and "of" are superfluous.
I just choked a bit on my coffee.
But people do continue to use IE voluntarily, even if it tends not to be HN geeks..
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#25I think a lot of people just don't know enough to upgrade their browser - I see people using IE9 at work even though we are allowed to install whatever software we want... IE really needs silent auto-update, and to actually release more often...
If you think this, then you don't understand enterprises. The vast majority of users you will encounter, even in their 60's, are aware, through friends, kids, family, etc that this "Google Chrome thing makes the internet faster".
They want it, but your typical large enterprise foces IE down their throats, courtesy of 20+ years of rape by the legions of IT guys who, through the cognitive dissonance inducing Microsoft certification/training/tools process now think that everything Microsoft is magic.
If you are reading this, and 3 years ago you were telling everyone at work how amazing Silverlight was going to be, you are part of the problem. If you were talking about how great Sharepoint was going to be, you are part of the problem.
FYI: Most people working in the Pentagon are forced to use IE8. Just in case anyone here had any illusions about how deep Microsofts' shitty certificate-holding fanboy culture has penetrated our government.
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#26I wonder whether the total numbers are significantly lower on the weekends - i.e. if there's a selection bias going on for people who choose to use the internet.
Yes. Ever mobile browsers people use less on weekends in absolute numbers (but more in relative).
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
anecdotes don't justify asterisks
Actually, you'll find that while a single anecdote doesn't provide evidence for a general theory, it does provide enough of a counter-example to disprove a statement. How can it be the case that nobody uses old IE by choice, if at least one person does?
It'll disprove a genuine universal statement of the kind that can be expressed with a "∀x" quantifier.
But anecdotes are pretty useless against hyperbole. About the best you can accomplish by going that route is to devolve the conversation into a quagmire of "dueling anecdotes" sophistry.
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#28The title needs an asterisk. Because I unfortunately have the privilege of knowing an older gentleman that purposely uses IE6 on Windows XP. He calls the concept of tabs useless rubbish. And I'm not talking a regular consumer, I'm talking someone who develops actual software.
Certainly a general title flourished with a little hyperbole is not atypical.
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#29The title needs an asterisk. Because I unfortunately have the privilege of knowing an older gentleman that purposely uses IE6 on Windows XP. He calls the concept of tabs useless rubbish. And I'm not talking a regular consumer, I'm talking someone who develops actual software.
Bollocks. It doesn't need an asterisk. It has a graph that proves your point! The graph doesn't show IE8/9 use going to 0% on the weekends.
In fact, it clearly shows about 35% of IE users still cling onto older versions during the weekends.
Re: Older versions of IE show a much stronger dropoff in usage over the weekend
#30Please retitle to "30-40% of IE users use older versions of Internet Explorer by choice."
[derp. updated the numbers because I was being stupid, but the point still stands]