Web developers, don’t be lazy!
Among web developers there’s a heated debate going on about Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), the very old, yet very much alive browser by Microsoft. Many designers and developers want to put banners on every site telling IE6 users they should upgrade. People are even talking about not ‘supporting’ IE6 any more.
The problem is that many IE6 users have no choice. In many cases they are using IE6 at work, where system administrators don’t allow them to upgrade to a modern browser. And some people simply aren’t very computer-savy and are afraid to mess with their software.
I don’t think we should stop these people from visiting our web sites. I don’t even want to make their experience worse by putting up banners that will only confuse or annoy them (after all, having to use IE6 on a daily basis is hard enough in itself).
However, this doesn’t mean that every website should look the same in both IE6 and modern browsers. That’s what progressive enhancement is for, isn’t it? I’m planning to start using more and more CSS3. This may mean visitors using IE6 don’t get to see each and every little detail, such as rounded corners and alpha transparencies. But everything should still be visible and usable. After all, the web is about open access to information for all. Let’s not forget that.
