That’s it – I give up.
I am so tired of Internet Explorer.
I don’t know how much you know, dear reader, but as a budding web designer, I hate Internet Explorer! Versions 6 & 7 have to be the most poorly written web browsers ever. There are so many really cool things that I have wanted to implement on all of my sites that just don’t work in Internet Explorer – or they work, but they get rendered in the completely wrong way.
I’m tired of writing hacks just for IE.
I’m tired of mis-rendered code.
I’m tired of things not working they way should.
You would think that IE – now in it’s seventh version – would work correctly. It has been around since August of 1995!!! Eleven years for the team to work on, and improve their software and what do we get stuck with?!?! P.O.S. code that doesn’t work.
It would be so much easier if they world knew there are alternatives. I use Firefox and I love it. The problem is that, as of October 2006, 61.8% of the world still uses one flavor of IE or another. So I have to make sure things work.
I’m sure that, after reading that last sentence, you’re thinking “Well, of course you should!” – but you need to realize that just about every other browser out there works the way it should. All of them except for pain-in-the-ass-IE.
That would be like BMW designing amazing cars that work in every state except for California. “Sorry, Johnny Car-Owner, our highways here in the Golden State just don’t allow your BMW to work as intended. Please go visit a chop shop and get your car modified to work here.”
Screw that. My car works fine everywhere else in the world!
As I see it, I have three options here. I can say to myself:
- “Screw IE, and do what I want. IE users be damned.”
- “Screw me and concede to IE. Microsoft has killed more creativity then tornados have killed trailer homes.”
- “Spread the word that there are alternatives.”
DON’T USE INTERNET EXPLORER
There are some great alternatives out there. Firefox is one. It has had many of the same features that Microsoft has implemented in IE7 – the difference is that these features have been around since version 1 and work they way they should! Tabbed Browsing, Plugins, Themes and much, much more! Best of all, it’s open-source!!
I’m not giving up! I have decided to display the above banner in a very prominent spot on my site’s sidebar – DAMN YOU INTERNET EXPLORER!
Why Should I Use Firefox?
I’ll tell you: Features, features, security and features!
Here’s the short list:
- Spell Checking
Firefox 2 has built-in spell checking to keep you from making any mistakes in your blog posts and Web-based email, so you don’t have to worry if it’s “i” before “e” or the other way around! - Search Suggestions
Some of the search engines in Firefox 2 can actually suggest search terms for what you’re looking for. Just start typing into the Search bar, and a drop down list of suggestions will appear. - Session Restore
This is one of the cooler features: If Firefox has to restart or closes, it comes back exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored!! You can even set Firefox 2 to always restore your previous session instead of loading a home page, so you’ll never lose your place again. - Integrated Search
Firefox’s Search bar comes pre-loaded with search engines for Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, Answers.com, and Creative Commons. Wherever you are on the Web, you can run a search query in the Search bar and get the results from the search engine you’ve chosen! You can select a new search engine from the Search bar menu at any time, and even add search engines from hundreds web sites. You can add mine to your Firefox install by clicking here. - Phishing Protection
Phishing Protection takes Firefox’s security to a new level, helping to safeguard your financial information and protect you from identity theft. When you encounter a Web site that is a suspected forgery (known as a “phishing” site) Firefox will warn you and offer to take you to a search page so you can find the real Web site you were looking for. - Open Source = More Secure
At the heart of Firefox is an open source development process driven by thousands of passionate, experienced developers and security experts spread all over the world. Their openness and active community of experts helps to ensure the Firefox is more secure and updated quickly! - Automated Update
Firefox’s update system always checks to see if you’re running the latest version, and notifies you when a security update is available. These security updates are small (usually 200KB – 700KB), giving you only what you need and making the security update quick to download and install. The automated update system provides updates for Firefox on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux in over 40 different languages. - Protection from Spyware
Firefox will not allow a Web site to download, install, or run programs on your computer without your explicit agreement. Period. You will be notified whenever downloading or installing software, and Firefox will always tell you what’s happening so that you can stay in control of your computer. No ActiveX! - An Add-on for Everyone
You can choose from over 1,000 add-ons at the Firefox Add-ons Web site. A Firefox add-on can help you comparison shop, share bookmarks with your friends, see the weather in a corner of your browser, write to your weblog, get news, listen to music – all from inside the browser. You can even change the appearance of your browser – from buttons to colors and fonts – so that it matches your own personal style.
And there’s so many more reasons to use it!!! Click here for more information on Firefox’s Features, Security and Personalization options!
Preach On! Preach On! I just wish IE would actually start using the features that other popular browsers are designing into them. There needs to be a standard no matter what browser. As more days go by and everyone else is using Mozilla/Netscape based browsers, its time to start basing the standard off of that since it is initiating more. Come on IE, catch up! Don’t update yourself to compete with some passed version of Firefox – woo hoo…you got tabs now – make yourself complete with today’s browser and go beyond!
Think about the designer and the freaking number of if/switch statements they have to do because you just have to be different. Just concede, say theirs is better and Match Up! Standardize! There is no way you lose, you are the default out there, so even with agreeing you lost – you still win.
That’s what I don’t understand – why does Microsoft have to insist on making their own standards instead of using the established standard they rest of the world uses!
MSXML instead of XML
ASP.NET AJAX instead of AJAX
Microsoft Outlook’s format instead of iCal
The list goes on and on . . .
The only thing I like about IE7 is the Cleartype, which I’ve got quite used to. Is there anything like that for FF?
Not exactly, but there is a work around, click here for my how-to on enabling ClearType in Windows XP.
You beauty!
Another issue with IE7 is that they link browser search box to MS live search. Typical user won’t know how to change and they will get locked into Microsoft search. I have noticed in my analytics referral logs that more users are coming from MSN (which I believe is how Google analytics reports Live.com). I’m pretty sure this is because of IE7 settings and not people electing to use MS search.
Actually, after instillation, you are taken the the RunOnce file and you can choose your search provider – although, I’m sure that you are right, most users leave MS as the default.
Mac users have known for years IE is bollocks!
Hello from Germany! May i quote a post a translated part of your blog with a link to you? I’ve tried to contact you for the topic Internet Explorer – GRRRRR | Samanathon.com, but i got no answer, please reply when you have a moment, thanks, Sprueche
Wow! Thank you! I always needed to write down in my site something like that. Can I take part of your publish to my blog?
i do not like trailer homes because it is not sturdy enough specially when the weather goes bad `,’
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