[Web4lib] Getting Rid of IE 6

[Cary Gordon]

This is great advice in general, but it does not address the problem
of users with IE6. I suppose you could direct your system to strip js
and css when they come across IE6, but somehow I don't think that it
would fly.

The problem that many of us have been bashing their heads against for
half a decade is that IE6 treats css rules differently than other
browsers and requires a lot of workarounds, particularly with sites
that use css to define a lot of content areas on a page. It is pretty
workable (although still different) if you want to use tables for
layout and don't mind sticking a knife in the back of accessibility.

I think that libraries do have a role in helping folks better access
information on the web, and helping them shake the yoke of IE6, which
already costs them access to many commercial sites, is a good thing.
Of course, by helping, I mean helping -- via online tutorials and
links to resources -- and not ordering or telling.

Tahnks,

Cary

On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 8:14 AM, Chris Gray <cpgray at library.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
> Users are not lazy or obstinate.  They didn't buy computers to become system
> administrators.  They bought them to send email, browse the Web, listen to
> music, watch videos, play games, and maybe get some useful work done.  Any
> attempt to force them to become system administrators is doomed to failure
> and, in my view, is insulting to the users.
>
> The only thing you should ever do (especially if you don't have unlimited
> resources) is code your Web site to standards in a way that degrades
> gracefully in any browser that has JavaScript and CSS turned off.  See
> http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/ and don't just read it; study the source
> code for their pages, look at their pages with CSS and JavaScript turned
> off, and look at their pages in Lynx.
>
> Your users have sent you a strong message by ignoring your attempt to get in
> their faces with browser version issues.  If you listen to them, you will
> stop.  It's not their job to get your Web site to work; that's your job.
>
> Chris
>
> Cloutman, David wrote:
>>
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> My library is looking to launch our new Web site last month (hurray).
>> Early in the development process, about 6 months ago, I had to make a
>> decision about what browsers the new site would support in terms of HTML
>> / CSS. My goal was at least 95% support of what was being used. At that
>> time, I looked at the numbers, and decided that IE6 would be going away,
>> and that over the life of the site, it wouldn't be an issue. (I figure a
>> typical site keeps a template for about 3 years.) The problem is that
>> the IE 6 market share has only gone down marginally since I made that
>> decision, and I'm looking at about 90% - 93% browser support at launch
>> time. It's not the end of the world, but in order to mitigate the issue,
>> I have posted a browser detecting JavaScript routine that looks for
>> versions if IE <=6, and then displays a message telling them to upgrade.
>> The technology works great. I'm tracking all the IE 6 hits through
>> images that load in the message. I'm also tracking click-throughs to the
>> IE Upgrade page and the Firefox page. (I wanted to give people options.)
>> The problem is that after a week I'm still getting a lot of hits, but
>> diminishing numbers of click-throughs. Part of the problem may be that
>> the IE upgrade page on the Microsoft's site doesn't load flawlessly in
>> IE 6. (Oops.) The other problem may be that people saw the warning
>> regarding the pending non-support of their browser, and my rather
>> technical disclaimer urging them to upgrade, and are now ignoring it.
>>
>> So here's my question for the list. How do I communicate to users, who
>> for all I know may not even know the meaning of the word "upgrade", that
>> they need to visit the Microsoft site, work through the issues, and
>> install a new piece of software? Also, and this is more fun issue, for
>> the ones that are really just lazy or obstinate, how do I grab their
>> attention. I am not above using Lolcats or dancing hamsters. Creative
>> suggestions are welcome.
>>
>> Happy Friday,
>>
>> - David
>>
>> ---
>> David Cloutman <dcloutman at co.marin.ca.us>
>> Electronic Services Librarian
>> Marin County Free Library
>> Email Disclaimer: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/nav/misc/EmailDisclaimer.cfm
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://chillco.com