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Posted by: Stuart

I enjoy working with HTML, XHTML, CSS and designers as a web developer. At home I enjoy listening to music, playing music, reading and food.

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Posted on: 2 June 2004

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Comments: 6

Some Good Advice

I just read this article about the browser wars which I picked up from the mezzoblue dailies. If you’re still insisting on using IE or even if you’ve thankfully moved on you should give this a read. A good arguement for telling Microsoft and it’s new Longhorn product where to shove it!

Comments ( 6 )

Root
I am committed passionately to the web standards org and all its works. Part of our commitment I think should be about persuading users onto new browsers. Sometimes though I just think from a PR / Sales kind of perspective that knocking Ms is counter productive.
My line at every opportunity is - try this - it is better.
Do you know that MS have just paid 25 M dollars in damages to Opera for serving up goofy code off MSN for Opera only. ? Thanks for your support today Stu. I came within minutes of a *my web host sucks I am moving right now* situation. Looks fixed now. Lets not tempt fate though.
2 June 2004, 01:51
Stuart
I agree knocking Microsoft can be counter-productive. They do get right up my nose at times though. They have a goal of taking the "free" internet away from us because they won't be able to make money out of it. I try to push alternatives where I can but this "it came with my PC so I'm using it" mindset is difficult to get past at times. :doh:
2 June 2004, 02:42
Thomasso
Perhaps that is why IE gets hit with with every Worm, TH and viruses that anyone can throw at it. When 90% of the world is ussing it, it sure makes the attack more worth while. Spam and pop-ups were my big peeves with it. Since running Linux, and using Mozzila, not one virus, TH or Worm...... humm, I wonder why? ...and when 90% of the world is using your product, why would you want to change? You've set the standard! but who was there first?

I believe the net will always be free. I fear governments will want to control it or try to, more so than Microsoft. But it is money that makes the world go a round and people are NOT happy to relearn a new browser or operating system. Thus they fear the free stuff like Linux becuase there is no 24/7 support staff to call upon.

Now setting standards is one thing: getting Microsoft to bend is another!:wall:
2 June 2004, 05:14
Stuart
@Thomasso - Not in total agreement with you. I agree that IE gets hit because it used by most people which makes it an attractive target but it is also because it has crap security. I happen to use Mozilla and have done since around version 1.2 and it's now at 1.8. I think around 2 years or thereabouts. With Mozilla, as with other Mozilla based browsers along with the likes of Opera and Safari you get far more built-in security. I also use a proxy and have anti-virus, anti-ad and anti-trojan software running. Now my browser can take care of itself but the other stuff is there to protect Windows - yet another insecure Microsoft product and again an attractive target due to it's wide usage. As for setting the standard I don't think Microsoft is a good example. Their standards are set by how quickly they can make a buck which is why products like Windows XP are released to the public when, in truth, they are still Beta products. The need to get it out on the street to get the money rolling in over-rides the need to make it secure and test it properly first. Now if you think about it if you download Beta software from the web it is generally free even if the full-release product is generally paid for. Why? Because the producers rely on testers and feedback to check out and fix the bugs. With Windows you are paying for the priviledge of testing it for them and then it takes them months to dish out a fix. And I think that the backup you get with Mozilla, Opera, Safari, Linux etc. is just as good as anything from Microsoft. Take WP for example. If you have a problem you know you can always ask me or Root or whoever and if we can't sort it you can always post to the WP forum and get an answer.

As for the Web, Microsoft have stubbornly refused to bring IE into line with already accepted web standards because if they do they will never make money from the web. They would be quite happy if the web didn't exist. Browser technology is not something anyone can make any money at now because there are so many excellent browsers that you can get for free. Better browsers than IE. As you say only 5% of people use other browsers however if you just look at web developers the figure is more like 10%, if you look at single countries like Germany it is around 19% and if you look at Linux users it is already over 50%. This is frightening the crap out of Microsoft because all these figures are rising. You can guarantee that IE7 will be even less standards compliant than IE6 and with the release of Longhorn you will find that there are many areas of the web which you won't be able to access anymore if you are not using IE. Microsoft's big aim is to break the W3C. They already block access to certain Microsoft sites suggesting that you "upgrade" to IE. Ha, upgrade my backside. Root refers to the Opera battle in his comment and if you want more info you can have a look at my "Browser Lockout" piece in the menu. This is a bit long really isn't it? I'm ranting. :twisted:
2 June 2004, 06:38
Root
Kind words Stu but heck. No one in his right mind would ask me anything. :oops:
2 June 2004, 15:32
Stuart
Of course they would.
2 June 2004, 22:51

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