Google is Dropping IE6 Support, So Should You, or 5 Things You Can't Do In IE6

IE6 is bad for user experience. Set your users free, drop IE6 support and encourage them to upgrade to a modern browser, it will take more than Google to make this happen. In my last post I covered briefly the IE exploit that hit some large companies, notably Google. I also talked about Google’s decision to drop support for IE6 on March 1st for the Google Doc’s Suite and Google Sites. Covered in this post are the benefits of dropping IE6 to you as a website owner, why putting IE6 to rest would mean a better user experience for all, and more reasons to stop supporting the browser.

Why this is beneficial to you as a website owner

When it all boils down, dropping IE6 support saves you time, and that saves you money. In addition your designers will have more freedom in their design and interaction, your developers will be less stressed and frustrated not having to spend hours debugging for IE6. In addition to saving you time, money and making your team more happy, you now have more modern development options available to you, allowing you to enhance your user’s experience. As I have mentioned before, the web is an ever changing environment, new technologies are created everyday. Some stick around and others don’t, but those that do typically rely on modern browser technology and future focussed; they look ahead and not back. As an added bonus you are also helping your users improve their experience and security on the web, the more people that drop support for IE6, the quicker the transition to modern browsers will be.

Better User experience for all if it is dropped

Here are some things not possible in IE6, that are possible in other modern browsers:

24-bit PNG buttons with drop shadow using alpha transparency. Notice the IE6 button has a light blue background applied when using alpha transparency

Full use of 24-bit PNGs: We can now use awesome alpha transparencies. Want a drop shadow on that container… easy. Want a glow on that button… easy. No need to get those images to line up perfectly with background colors, or the need to create new images when background colors change.

Use of child selectors in CSS: With CSS2 child selectors we can write CSS rules to apply to direct children. ex: #content > p only selects the p’s in the element with the id of content. Less “hooking” is required, cleaner markup.

Use of attribute selectors: We can use CSS2 attribute selectors to apply styles to elements with a specific attribute. Again, this means less hooking our markup with classes and id’s. ex: img[alt="ThumbNail"] only selects images with an alt of ThumbNail. No need to add a class to select this element.

Multiple classes: We can reference multiple classes in CSS. ex: .container.left.first only selects elements with the class container, left and first given to it. In IE6 this works sometimes but is extremely buggy and unreliable.

IE6 Hacks gone: one example: no more having to overwrite or hack out that pesky double margin bug IE6.

IE6 is also a slow at processing Javascript, as well as not being able to utilize alot of the newer methods and libraries. IE in general is slower than most other modern browsers, we can definitely notice IE8′s lacking in smooth animations and effects.

Why you should stop supporting IE6

If you stop offering support for IE6 you are helping move the modern web forward. You are giving your users a better experience by having the ability to use new techniques and technologies to enhance your site and their experience while using it. Here is an option you could use to encourage your users to upgrade to a newer browser: ie6update.com. When you make the decision to drop IE6 support, sign up at idroppedie6.com and feel good about it.

Conclusion

There are a lot of awesome technolgies and techniques out there for you to take advantage of when building or updating your website. Don’t be dragged down by an old and inefficient browser. Set yourselves and your users free by dropping IE6 support and having your team take full advantage of modern technologies. Improve your user’s experience and encourage them to browse the modern web more securely and efficiently. If you have dropped support for IE6 go ahead and post a comment on how this has let you improve your user’s experience.

Cheers!

Related Articles

• Google Is Dropping IE6 Support – So Should You – Part 1
• 10 Cool things we’ll be able to do once IE6 is dead
• Modern Browsers for Modern Applications

About the Author: John Botica

John is a web developer at digital-telepathy. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts with an emphasis in Web Design from Platt College of Graphic Design, San Diego and graduated with honors at the top of his class. During his education he interned at digital-telepathy as a developer/support specialist, which then lead to a full-time position upon graduation. On a day to day basis he is always learning and growing in his knowledge of the web, which is a must! When not working John enjoys tilting back a pint at the pub, playing games, collecting random pieces of armor and weapons from the past, helping Dave in Azeroth (after all he is a Gnome and needs all the help he can get), and most of all spending time with his wife Amy.