You think only web developers and web designers are the ones who want to get rid of Internet Explorer 6 or IE6? Microsoft, the company who developed the web browser are also advocating users to say goodbye to Internet Explorer 6 and even created a special website called “The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown“.
10 years ago a browser was born.
Its name was Internet Explorer 6. Now that we’re in 2011, in an era of modern web standards, it’s time to say goodbye.
This website is dedicated to watching Internet Explorer 6 usage drop to less than 1% worldwide, so more websites can choose to drop support for Internet Explorer 6, saving hours of work for web developers.
The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown website not only encourages users to get rid or abandon the aged browser but it also displays data based on the usage of Internet Explorer 6 around the world.
The website also provides users resources on how to spread the word about IE6 Countdown campaign or how to educate others on why they should stop using IE6. They even provide a tool for displaying a “You are using an outdated browser” banner for use on websites and blogs.
Microsoft has also designed special programs called “migration workshops” that are designed to help companies and business organizations that still use IE6 to have an easier and smoother transition to a more modern web browser. The program covers topics like how to address compatibility issues and virtualization solutions for IE6.
Some of you might be wondering what all the fuss is about IE6. Here’s a little background information for those who don’t have any idea about this topic. IE6 is the default web browser installed on Windows XP & Windows Server 2003 and because it is a very outdated browser, it has a lot of security issues and lacks support for modern web standards (XHTML, CSS, HTML5, etc.).
If you’re still using Internet Explorer 6, please do yourself a favor and upgrade to a later version of Internet Explorer or use an alternative web browser like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera.
Do you or someone you know still use IE6 as their default web browser? What do you think of the Internet Explorer 6 Countdown website? Are you helping in spreading the word to get IE6 completely eradicated?
I prefer IE6 because when I downloaded IE7, many more crashes occured. Plus IE6 being unsupported is bad because Windows 98 and 2000 users will not be able to upgrade to IE7 since it is not compatible.
@neo – I guess that’s okay in terms of convenience but if you want to have a secure browsing experience, I think its a bad idea to use IE6. I’d rather use Chrome or even Opera than use IE6.
i personally love ie6. its fast. ie7-8-9 is a nono. if ie6 dies, then ill be on chrome or rockmelt. firefox already my primary browser.