Please downgrade the Internet
Are you or someone you know still using Internet Explorer 6?
The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed monumental advancements in technology. The latter half of this decade has specifically seen incredible improvements to Internet and mobile communications. 2009 is to the Internet what 1969 was to space exploration.
In with the new, out with the old.
As with any technology advances, the old tecnology becomes obsolete and is discarded in favor of the new technology. This is especially relevant to the Internet technological evolution. Most modern Web 2.0 applications are not compatible with obsolete browsers like Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft issued mandatory updates to Internet Explorer 8 to resolve this issue. Many popular Web 2.0 websites such as Gmail, Facebook, and MySpace (among others) require Internet Explorer 6 users to upgrade to a Web 2.0 compatible browser.
The latest update for Internet Explorer 6 is dated June 29 2006. The Internet has changed drastically over the last 4 years. A CSS web style standard has been adopted. Web 2.0 blog applications such as Wordpress are used religously by millions of users worldwide. Mobile Internet devices simplify our lives by providing on-demand access to the Internet. Web 2.0 software modernization is at the core of these advances. And these modernizations are typically made readily available to the public for free, with easy download and simplified, step by step installation instructions.
So web developers are often surprised to still receive requests from web design customers to downgrade their website in order to support the obsolete web browser Internet Explorer 6. The excuses most often come down to two mindsets:
- The client simple does not want to upgrade due to fear or lack of motivation.
- The client has outdated proprietary software that only works with Internet Explorer 6.
The first reason is easily solved. Upgrade to a modern browser.
The second reason is convoluted. The client can’t ugrade their web browser due to the client’s internal proprietary software systems that are dated and thus, not compatible with the newer web browsers. It all comes down to money. The client doesn’t want to spend the money to upgrade or replace their outdated proprietary software. There is nothing wrong with that decision and it is completely understandable. However, this choice has uncompromising circumstances. The client must accept the fact that they will be operating in an obsolete environment. They will not be able to take advantage of the new features and applications that modern day Internet users have become accustomed to.
It’s very simple. The Internet cannot be downgraded in order to support Internet Explorer 6. That is why new software releases are created and why browser updates are free. Keep your software up to date and you won’t have any problems. If you choose to not upgrade due to proprietary software incompatibilites, you must accept the fact that you will not have access to the ever growing landscape of tools and experiences that Web. 20 has to offer.
