Trash All IE Hacks 513
Let's admit it, we all hate Internet Explorer 6. About 80% of our CSS debug time are spend on IE6. We all know that IE6 is outdated and has horrible CSS rendering engine. However, most average Internet users haven't realized that yet. Why? Because we put our hard work on it and patch the bugs by various IE hacks. Well, it is time to do something...
Common IE hacks
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CSS Conditional comments
In order for our sites to work on specific verson of IE (due to improper CSS rendering), CSS conditional comments are used to apply special CSS specifications to fix it. If you haven't realized this yet, read the IE bug articles on positioniseverything.net (warning: you might hate IE more after you read them). -
PNG hack
As mentioned early, IE6 is outdated and doesn't support PNG alpha transparency. In order to display PNG (with alpha transparency) properly in IE6 or older version, we use this hack.Aleksey asked on "Simple Double Quotes":
"Hello Nick. I see some bug.
The Close button ( X ) don’t transparent. Test on IE6 and MyIE."My response:
"Yes, I know the PNGs don't display probably in IE6. But guess what, I'm not going to bother to fix it. I'm sick of hacking IE6 bugs. You should upgrade your browser anyway. Why are you still using the outdated browser?"
Why trash IE6 hacks?
I know this is difficult because about 37% (according to w3schools.com) of internet users are still using IE6. But, together we can make a different. Stop using IE hacks on your sites and let them see the ugly side of IE6. Eventually, they will find a better browser (ie. Firefox) or at least upgrade to newer version of IE.
Update:
Agree with the comments below, the statistic from W3schools does not reflect the entire internet. According to TheCounter.com, the global browser stats of IE6 users is 52% in July 2007.
Support me
If you agree with me, please support Web Designer Wall by making a vote and spreading out the word. Let's trash all IE hacks and code happily ever after...
Loading ...Conclusion
85% voted yes
15% voted no
Here are what people have said:
- "My boss will fire me if my sites don't work in IE6" because 52% of internet users are still using IE6.
- Display a message (in yellow bar), "You are using an outdated browser, please upgrade your browser" to IE6 users.
- If it is a personal project, you can ignore all the IE6 users. But for professional or commercial projects, you can't live without them.
- Avoid using any features (ie. PNG, CSS selectors) that are not supported by IE6.
I think we should all start a worldwide campaign “Why IE 6 is dangerous and bad for you” . Exactly something like the “I dont believe in Jesus” campaign in London. Everyone chips in a little to let the world know something valueable.
Here in Japan IE6 is even still more widespread than elsewhere but happy lives on in a html table world. A waste of designer resources, a nightmare.
by the way this website is great! please also ban this turkish spam guy below hes annoying
@tobias brilliant idea! i would sponser that
Thanks for the information
voted yes. to hell with bad browser, imo.
Really good post – I really agree with what you have to say about banning it…
I really agree with what you had to say to Aleksey, so thumbs up to you for that!
Thank =)=)=) you http://www.cennet.gen.tr webdesignerwall Thanks
I would do that in personal project, but at least, even it is rendered bad, we still need to make it readable on IE6 or we lost our visitor… :) Unless Google and other big website ban IE6, this won’t do a big change…
voted yes. to hell with bad browser, imo.
gill
My clients want the work I do to work across all browsers, I’d like to charge them for this, but they don’t like that idea much.
For everyone who wants to keep users and their clients away from IE:
http://www.marious-alex.co.cc/ie-alert/
That script is great and works perfectly fine. Already some clients of me have
abandoned IE6 and IE7 (even 8) after visiting my page with that Javascript code linked.
Great post btw.
ie6 is bad nightmare.
Rest in peace IE6. Thanks webdesigner wall for your effort. This will be very helpful to all webdesigner around the world.
i want to show up the message if there is someone using IE6. MESSAGE LIKE ” OOFF YOU ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER 6 OR LESS ,PLEASE UPGRADE TO IE7 OR IE8 ,OR USE FIREFOX ,OPERA, SAFARI CROME”. my wordpress theme works better in all browser except STUPID IE6. and want to give download link to all browser. how can i do this. explain step by step
Why not ask Microsoft to make IE open-source. They are planning to make XP opensource: http://unknownone.co.uk/2009/06/27/microsoft-offering-win7-on-thumb-drive-article/
So if they made IE opensource, we could improve it ourselves ^_^
Great , Trash All IE Hacks
Great article. CSS saved web design
Cyrus
Visit http://www.psdtoxhtmlcoder.com
OMG! IE8 is even worser then IE6!!!!! I’m working on a site for a client and I thought well lets check it in IE8. Result: Loads of script conflicts (such as PNG Alpha transparency in combination with jQuery opacity statements) and heaps of display problems. I’ve tried to look for a png fix such as the ones for IE6 and came to the conclusion…. THERE IS NOT ONE!!!!!
AND NOW COMES IT!!!!.
I’ve checked all the sites that I made over the last 2 years in IE8 and I was shocked to see that they all have major issues regarding usability, display and functionality.
After cursing for an hour or so and wishing Bill Fucking Gates everything what we don’t want to have, I really don’t know how I’m going to explain my former clients that I need days and in some cases even, weeks, to solve all the issues and that they have to pay for me to do so while actually BILL FUCKING GATES have to pay me for that.
Seriously, I know that I as a web developer can’t ignore Internet Explorer, because there are still too many end users stuck with the shitiest browser on earth, but deep in my Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome, etc, HEARTH… I WISH I COULD!
You shouldn’t just let them see the ugly site, instead, redirect IE6 to a page stating why they can’t see the page and give them recommendations on an alternative. Something like this (from a project I’ve been working on): http://10.uppcon.se/ie6.html
Damn right. Everytime I am working on an XHTML/CSS template it’s the same. It works perfectly and looks great in Firefox 2 and 3, Opera, Konqueror, Safari… but not in that #+~?*$ browser. It’s a shame how many people are still using any IE version.
Great article!
hey guys I would like to make a page on my own website (so not commercial, I wouldn’t dare to do it then my boss would kill me) saying “get a fucking decent browser” when people get on it using IE6 (or 7 even)… How can I make such a page in CSS? Is it with conditional comments? Well I totally conquer with the view in this article, hope someone can help me with this problem…
Thx a lot in advance!