Designing for a Specific Browser: So 1998

By
Angie Herrera

I was recently doing some research online and came across this little item: [ Click on the image to view the larger version. ] I use Firefox for 99% of my browsing and other Internet-based tasks. It's a great browser, for everyone really. And being a web developer, it irks me when I run across a message like the one in the image. Most of the time I'll see a message like that but I'll still be able to browse through the site. In this case, however, I couldn't even do that. Why are there still so-called web developers doing this? Does Microsoft pay them? The bottom line is, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this. Unless the person who has developed the site has absolutely no clue what he or she is doing. Granted, it could very well be a client request. Either way though, this is a big no-no. Sure, around 90% of users (+/-, depends on who you ask or what you read), use Internet Explorer. That's 10% of your visitors using something else. Who is in that 10%? Mac users, for one. While I'm sure there are still some Mac users using IE, a large percentage use Safari (because it comes with every new Mac) or Firefox. Internet Explorer for Mac is no longer available. How about many web developers who use Firefox on either Mac or PC? And let's certainly not forget people on mobile devices (such as cell phones or PDAs). They're not using IE. And how about folks with physical disabilities who use screen readers or some other assistive device? Ten percent isn't exactly a tiny number when you think about it. So why would anyone cut off 10% of their potential customer base? Big mistake. And so 1998...