Getting Rid of IE6 - the Campaign Continues

The words "Internet Explorer 6" will even make the coolest CSS-guru cry. To make a stop to this virus some tweeters in Norway started a campaign to get users to upgrade, or even better switch, browser. Many of the largest web sites in Norway as well as many international sites took part of the campaign. And now not only Steve Ballmer supports it but even the Norwegian government as well. The minister of change (yes, instead of just talking about change Norway has a minister to ensure that change is coming) encouraged governmental organizations to replace IE6. An important encouragement as most IE6 installations are in large organizations where users have no or little control over which software to install.

But has it lead to any improvement? The initial IE6-campaign was started by a tweet from Finn.no (Norwegian version of eBay) employee Erlend Schei and according to the browser stats for Finn.no IE6 has gone from a near peak of 19% down to 17%. For digi.no IE6 declined roughly 15% in just two weeks. So, yes it can be done!

What can you do?

Encourage visitors to your website to upgrade. UX-experts Netlife Research notes that most users with IE6 installed on their home computer are likely to be less experienced with computers. Make the upgrade path as easy as possible, sending them off to Microsoft download page can be confusing for most users. To ensure this they have made a "better download page for Internet Explorer". There are also many other alternatives ways offered to prompt users to upgrade their browser.

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As a webdesigner myself, i feel the pain of IE6 every day. CSS brought the webdesign to a new level. Also PNG transparency support and so much more got developed in the last 8 years, wich would make us capable of designing beutifull, and fast webpages, with good control for us and the user on the content. If there wasnt IE6. So please let it go, and have its place by all the other softwares in the past. And save us time, save the world somebandwidth. Please. As a designer i believe that designing between limits is a good thing, it tests our skills, but let those barriers bee usablity, good look, accesibility, speed, orwhatever that makes sense for the user. Not some old software that just holds back everyone else. As of mee. i didnt ever calculate how much time did ispend for IE6 compatibility only. But i am sure that enough, for swithing about 1000 PC-s to lets say Firefox. or even more. :P

Getting Rid of IE6 - the Campaign Continues

What can you do?

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