It’s hard to think of a more universally hated piece of software than Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer 6. The aging browser came bundled with Windows XP, which had the unfortunate side-effect of making it wildly popular, as people used it day-in and day-out for their browsing needs, oblivious to the growing security holes and alternatives available.
In recent years IE6 has become a beast of burden for Web developers, who have had to make sure their sites support the cursed browser, along with all its HTML idiosyncrasies. More recently popular websites have begun dropping support for IE6 altogether, citing diminishing use and lack of compatibility with modern Web standards. One of the first, and most noticeable, to take the plunge was Google Inc., which dropped IE6 support for Google Docs some years ago.
It would seem that Microsoft has realised the only way they can get back in the good graces of developers and designers is by raising their hands and apologizing for their browsing abomination, which they began last week with Internet Explorer 6 Countdown. The website tracks IE6 usage globally, with the aim of getting the figure down to 1%. The biggest perpetrators are China, with a frankly massive 34.5%, and South Korea with 24.8%. Globally, IE6 usage is sitting at around 12%, so they’ve got a fair way to go.
Obviously apologising isn’t quite enough for Microsoft, who seem to have essentially resorted to grovelling to attendees at the DrupalCon conference in Chicago. A page from the programme, posted on Twitter by conference attendee Kirk Clawes reads “Dear Web Developer, we are so very sorry about IE6. Come have a drink on us at the opening night party. Also, stop by our booth #67 and we will show you why IE9 is way better.”
Although the sentiment is certainly appreciated, and it’s nice to see a big corporation poking fun at itself, we have to think in this case, it’s too little too late. That said, we certainly look forward to the day when IE6 is consigned to the history books, and we can all move on to hating the second most loathsome piece of software ever created – iTunes.
