The Codist

In testing a new blog, I'm down to making it work in IE6. I haven't done much testing in IE6 for a while and have forgotten how incredible obtuse it can be. So far I've only worked with CSS issues (javascript is next) and it's making me tear my hair out (which is hard since it's cut very short).

I really we wish we could all refuse to support this abomination any more, but for some reason it still commands 20% or so of the market. I installed a neat little app on my windows XP partition (on my MBP) called Multiple IE which at least lets me test IE6 (and actually older versions but who cares).

I'm thinking of using something from Save The Developers or doing it myself to tell me people to please upgrade to a reasonable browser (even IE7 is better). If I get really pissed during the testing I may simple refuse to show the site at all in IE6. Some people have already resorted to this. For a technology blog like this one (with 70% non-IE readers) it's not a big issue; for a more general blog it might not be as acceptable.

The more sites refuse to display in IE6 the more likely people might upgrade (assuming they can). Sadly there are a lot of companies who still use IE6 as their only acceptable browser and target its quirks and non-standard features without regard to anything else.

So to cop a slogan from President Gerald Ford,

WIN!

Whip IE6 Now!