Microsoft recently announced that it will continue to support IE6 (internet explorer version 6) until 2014 despite the fact it has now been superseded twice (current version is IE8) and once again web developers and designers (like me) across the world let out yet another defeated groan.
Microsoft’s reasons for extending support for this old, non-compliant browser include allowing them to continue to send out patches for security flaws!

As you may know, I am not a Microsoft fan and I have a special loathing of Internet Explorer so I forgive you for thinking that I’m going to be biased here but try and see through it, I promise the points I make here are valid and apply to everyone.

So what’s the problem? Internet Explorer of any version is not, in general, considered a particularly secure browser neither is it the best at rendering websites as the designers and developers intended. Granted, it is getting better but is it really good enough that M$ have to issue security patches on an almost weekly basis?
Now I know some of you won’t take my word for it but you have to take Eric Lawrence’s word for it! Why? Because Eric Lawrence is Microsoft’s IE Security Manager, that’s why.

Here’s what Eric has to say on the matter (taken from a response as to why Microsoft are extending support for IE6):
“Putting customers at risk isn’t an option,” Lawrence said on the IEInternals blog. “Having said that, we work hard at evangelizing new browser releases and getting folks to upgrade. While we still support IE6, there’s no question that users on IE8 will have a more secure, reliable, and performant [sic] experience.”

What get’s my goat about this is that surely it would be in the customer’s best interest to upgrade to IE7 rather than keep patching IE6? Unfortunately, unlike IE7, IE6 doesn’t seem to have an auto update notification where-as IE7 users got prompted in a very unsubtle way to upgrade to IE8. This is just so typical of the Microsoft mentality.

Regarding the rendering of websites, I do hear a lot of people saying that it’s other browsers that have a problem such as Firefox and Google’s chrome but I assure you, it’s IE. Microsoft themselves have said that their browser doesn’t conform to web standards compliance. IE7 was a massive leap forward from IE6 but is still along way behind the others. The problem is not helped by companies that designed websites specifically for IE(6) because statistically it is the most used (please don’t keep saying “popular”) browser.

Big question then is: “Why should I upgrade”? The number one reason I would give is security. Internet Explorer, especially IE6 is just too insecure. It is prone to attacks by harmful websites and viruses. The risk that someone could attack you pc and obtain passwords or even images of your kids is just far too great. Microsoft are trying their “best” to keep on top of this but they will ALWAYS be several steps behind the attackers. After all, they won’t know there’s a security flaw (9 times out 10) until someone else finds it first. The second reason is for user experience on the internet. For those that say they’re happy with the website experience I have one final question: Do you have a colour TV? Black and white TV’s still allow you to view tv shows but people still choose the more expensive colour TV’s? Why? Because they’re better…

One final point: If you have a really, really old PC and have to upgrade the operating system to XP and perhaps add some memory, the most this will cost you is about £70. Bet your colour tv cost a lot more than that over the B&W equivilent and your TV doesn’t give out your bank details to every passing stranger!!