Is incompatibility with IE6 going to be fixed?

I agree with that, 100%.

But why have you upgraded your sites to run vB 3.8.4? You know, vB 2.x 'just works'. As does vB 3.0.x.

I don't have a problem with people not wanting to embrace new technology. There are times when I am one of them. Sometimes the expense outweighs the benefits. But when the latest and greatest browser downloads are all there, free for the taking, I struggle to understand why people are so resistant to upgrading. If you were to upgrade your truck, it would require a serious exchange of cash. IE8 costs nothing.

 

That fact remains that issues with ie6 in vb4 need to be fixed so that customers traffic (members) are not lost. Doesn't matter about the fact it's an outdated browser (which I won't argue with). the fact is not correcting the issues is resulting in lost traffic or at least potential lost traffic to people running forums.

And there are people over at .com (same old people that wish to alienate peoples concerns) saying "upgrade", use another browser blah de blah basically, the same old bullying crap. What we try to see here by some members who persist in proceeding with the same tactical play.

Personally, I wish ie6 would just die, I don't support the browser but I think as a seller to customers you have to support the browser due to lost traffic for customers who where basically forced to purchase the package.

Anyway, Anyone for a slice of Yule log cabin chocolate cake? It's free.

 

These sort of threads make me chuckle, they really do. Like anyone - individual or company - is going to listen to anyone spouting off about how they "need to upgrade their browser". No, they "need to visit a different site" if yours doesn't support the browser they are using.

My company uses IE6 because it has a vast array of bespoke software that doesn't work on IE7 or above, nor any other browser. At a time when businesses are focusing on return on investment (ROI), what would be the ROI on paying to have this software updated so they can use IE8? Answer: fat zero. Will it get done? Answer: Not a chance! And any website owner or developer can complain all they like.

The likes of that isiot schwab2clarkson on vb.com who keeps wittering on about "petitioning" your employers - she clearly doesn't actually have a job or she'd know how fruitless this would be.

Sites still need to work as well as possible in IE6, and that's a fact.

 

VB 4 not working with ie 6, is like Exxon making a new gas that will not work in 11.44% of the trucks and cars on the road today.

Guess what, that 11.44% of the market share is going to go elsewhere.

W3Counter - Global Web Stats

Windows 98 and windows 2000 are still showing up. Windows xp, an operating system that was released in 2001 still makes up 56.61% of the market.

 

Internet Explorer 6 was at its time (9 years ago) the best browser available. Now that other browsers have come out that meet standards-based expectations and don't have misused and horrible CSS & Javascript support, IE6 should be faded out. It is hurting everyone involved.

These companies that still run it in their systems are only hurting themselves. IE6 doesn't support a ton of new features with HTML5, CSS3, and all other new scripting languages and markup.

Saying that staying with IE6 forever should happen is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. Just because some people are stubborn and don't want to update doesn't mean everyone else who does needs to suffer at the hands of the few who don't like newer versions of the software.

You're right about the Tacoma and T100. It isn't out of date, but you can't walk into as many places and get new parts as you used to. It'll eventually be faded out other than some people who like them for crawling, customizing, or collecting.

The web needs to move forward into a more standards based reality. Holding that back only hurts everyone in the end. If you're going to use IE6 for the rest of your life, expect sites not to work and don't complain about it.

That is like using an old version of an anti-virus and saying "I don't like the new one, I'm not upgrading"; then complaining when you get a new virus that the old program had no idea about.

 

If you want to be successful on the internet you support what your customers/members/users are using, not what you want them to use.

It's a basic principle and I'll be amused to watch the "tell them to upgrade" brigade fail miserably.

 

My employers do not need or want any of these features. What they do want is for their bespoke software to run.

They quite rightly will not spend many tens of thousands of pounds having that software rewritten JUST so they can use a more up to date browser which will provide absolutely NO return on investment whatsoever.

Taking the simplistic "but you need these features!" approach in business does NOT work. It's all about return on investment. Unless someone can provide a genuine return on investment (rather than the usual vague "but you might get viruses" nonsense) then everyone who can't understand why employers won't spend thousands of pounds on a whim, are going to be disappointed.

 

I don't personally use IE6 but I do keep a machine running with it on.

If you don't want people on your site on IE6 then that's fine for you - that's your business decision and you can always block them by useragent anyhow.

For the vast majority though, I suspect that's not the case. I don't fully support IE6 however I do ensure my site is accessible and fully usable in IE6.

 

Yeah, Facebook has failed miserably right?
Youtube has failed miserably right?
37signals has failed miserably right?
reddit has failed miserably right?
i think you get my point...

I don't agree that completely shutting down the site to IE6 users is the way to go. HOwever, nudging them in the right direction to upgrade is not a horrible thing to do.

Also, depending on the size of the company, updating to a faster browser over time could save the company WAY MORE than what the cost of updating their system would. Some food for thought for you guys.

 

Why would anyone even use IE6? Or any Internet Explorer for that matter.

 

Some members have very old computers that won't run anything higher - my IE6 test machine is like that. Then you have employers like the one I mentioned above.

 

Bolded for effect.

You are correct. However it is all the business applications that still require IE that is keeping alive still. Now if your forums was required reading for a business and it made sense to them on the ROI front to update they would. But in reality we are talking about people visiting hobby forums from work. The employer is not going to care if there is a conflict with their software and your forum in this case. I think a lot of people miss that fact.

 

We "fixed the glitch" IE6 will no longer be supported

.

 

As should all good web developers.

My personal opinion - "its an old outdated browser", is another way of saying "I'am too lazy to make it work".

If your gonna do something, do it right. Make sure it works with all of the major browsers. IE 6 is the number 4th most used browser on the market.

 

Its not laziness. It's a business decision that they don't want to double their man hours just to support an outdated browser (it is outdated, whether you want to admit it or not).

The guys at 37signals are not lazy developers, however they understand no one with much web-sense is going to be using IE6 unless their pigeonholed to do so at work. 37signals Product Blog: Phasing out support for IE 6 across all 37signals products on August 15, 2008

All my sites work with IE6, but I'm not going to continue to apply CSS hacks just for them to get a newer faster version like the rest of the internet who has moved on and realized the power of newer browsers.

 

Switch to free solutions. They at least work (and also render the same) in these browsers or pay more and get less (visitor numbers and ad revenue) yes IE6 is a pita to style for but why is the most expensive forum in its category the one that does the least work? Because they don't feel they have to.

Show me a big board that won't at least try and not look like a bag o crap on IE6 and I'll eat my post.