Microsoft Wants to Kill Internet Explorer 6 Too

[Greg Tito]

Microsoft Wants to Kill Internet Explorer 6 Too

Microsoft created a website dedicated to dropping usage of IE6 worldwide to 1 percent.

I honestly don't know anyone who still consciously chooses to use Internet Explorer, let alone a ten year old version of the application. But apparently, a lot of people still do, and even the application's creator Microsoft is fed up enough to start an initiative to make people stop. At IE6countdown [http://ie6countdown.com/index.html#], Microsoft tracks the usage of its ten year old browser in real time, and offers tips and strategies on how to cut down the number of people who use it by encouraging them to upgrade to IE9. As far as I can tell, it's the first campaign for a company to stop people from using its product.

"10 years ago a browser was born," the website reads. "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."

According to the website, Asian countries are especially prone to using old technology as 34.5 percent China uses IE6 and South Korea isn't far behind with 24.8. Only 12.5 percent of the world still uses IE6, but because of population percentage that figures to half of the problem being China.

Why isn't ie6countdown.com [http://ie6countdown.com/index.html#] available in Chinese then?

To be honest, I can't understand why people are still using ancient browsers. I used Firefox as soon as I heard about it and moved to Chrome when Google released it and never looked back. Given how fast technology improves, I'm always surprised when I meet someone who is convinced that what they learned to use at first is always the best. It makes me wonder how many people are still using Netscape Navigator.

Source: IE6countdown [http://ie6countdown.com/index.html#]

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[Eri]

As usual, people are dumb. Business as always.

 

[icame]

34% of china... isn't that near 400 million users? Good luck with that microsoft

 

[My name is Fiction]

Netscape?
That still exist?
Everyday new surprises.
I'm using Google Chrome right .now

 

[Amalith]

If I did know anyone that outdated, I'd recommended they either choose chrome or firefox, or, it they really want to keep internet explorer, IE8. IE9 is terrible.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the vast majority of IE6 installations (at least here in the US) are in businesses (like the one I work at). A lot of companies have old applications that only work with IE6 and are obsolete and unsupoorted, but they don't want to go to the trouble of leasing or homebrewing new software, so they stick with the old software. Plus there the time investment of installing a newer version of IE, ensuring it's properly locked-down security-wise, educating IT staff about it, etc.

As far as individuals, though, well... some people just fear change.

 

[Nimzar]

I still have IE6 on my computer...

I use Chrome and have Firefox for my alternate browser... but on rare occasions where I need a 3rd alternate (next to never) I use IE6.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It makes me wonder how many people are still using Netscape Navigator.

Netscape usage : .71% of all browsers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers

With 160 million hits, that's still > 1 million unique hits from NN in Feb 2011.

Interestingly, the predominant countries for Netscrape are France and Canada...

 

[Ogargd]

Well it's a step in the right direction, they have to take responsibility for getting rid of their own out dated programs and they have.

 

[Worgen]

I still miss netscape

 

[RyanKaufman]

I use IE8. I'll never use Firefox because to me it's just slower and less compatible with just about everything I do, so it adds more work to be done. As for Google Chrome and Netscape, I don't like Google Chrome, and Netscape was very nice, I just grew tired of two seperate browsers and stuck to IE.

 

[JezebelinHell]

Most people are unaware of the changes made to the coding of websites that older browsers clearly cannot support and they are even less knowledgeable of the security issues they are leaving themselves open to. I understand the reluctance to change but there are very important reasons for it. Simply running a search for tweaking the latest version to the version you like should give you several ways to adjust it to what you are used to.
Although, I seriously do suggest a browser other than IE for security and compatibility reasons it is not the best browser anyway.
Actually, people that use something every day and do not bother to learn anything about it have always baffled me.

 

[Tharwen]

We still have that installed on a couple of school computers here, and after having had to use it, I pity anyone who has no alternative.

It's like trying to browse on a freshly-slaughtered llama.

/inappropriatemetaphor

 

[WanderingFool]

I use IE9 now, and Chrome. Mostly Chrome.

 

[Jsnoopy]

Pretty sure my school still uses IE6 >.<

 

[Staskala]

...so they put up an English-only site despite the fact that only ~3% of each English-speaking country uses IE6.
Yeah, smart move.

Also, considering the insane amount of old computers the many, many public administration bureaus use I doubt you'll ever see much change in China.

 

[Buizel91]

Once i got to Google Chrome...i never went back ^_^

I still can't believe people still use IE...it's the stale ass of web browsers...

 

[katsumoto03]

We still have that installed on a couple of school computers here, and after having had to use it, I pity anyone who has no alternative.

It's like trying to browse on a freshly-slaughtered llama.

/inappropriatemetaphor

More like /fuckingawesomemetaphor

OT: Well, good luck Microsoft... I guess...


*Ahem*

Google Chrome, bitches.