The Web 2.0 Version of Firefox vs. Internet Explorer

Before Firefox was even thought of, the Internet was plagued with thousands of sites proudly displaying browser recommendation icons. You remember them, right? The classic phrase, This Site Works Best With Internet Explorer and similar variants encouraging the use of Netscape. With the release of the w3 web development standards, many webmasters hoped to put an end to this meaningless nonsense. Well, here we are, years later, and nothing’s changed. In fact, some are saying the situation has only intensified.

WildBill published a post in 2006 with a picture of a roadside billboard advertising Ubuntu, which happened to land on the Digg front page a couple days ago. Even though I don’t necessarily agree with the statement, “It’s just great to see the World’sGreatestOS(TM) publicized” (Debian pwns j00), seeing Linux out in the open like that was pretty refreshing; at least until I started reading visitor’s comments.

The fourth comment initially had me confused.

Please don’t hate on IE so much, not everyone has a choice in what browser they use.

If you read WildBill’s post, you should have noticed a reference to Internet Explorer doesn’t exist. Not thinking anything of the unusual comment, I continued reading to comment 16.

Linux is for the home and server room. Desktop users have no choice as Linux sucks in the desktop. So how can IE users appreciate your billboard if you block them?

Linux sucks in the desktop? I can’t help but smile at that statement, how naive. Anyway, time to look at some source code. WildBill installed a script that prevents Internet Explorer users from seeing his site - genius! After consulting a few highly regarded sources and performing a sequence of calculations, I came up with this interesting formula.

Digg Effect + No Viewing for IE Visitors = Cry Me A River Party.

Please, someone call the whambulance. Respect to WildBill for not caving in to these whiners - here’s his reply.

Jeremy: Yep, I’m only targeting IE. Deal with it. Don’t like it? Fine, don’t visit the site.

Another visitor retorted with some truly original flawed logic.

Blocking IE is the peak of arrogance and this behaviour is actually STOPPING me from switching. If you dislike someone, stooping to their level doesn’t make you cool, it makes you as bad as the person or organisation you dislike.

First of all, WildBill isn’t exaggerating Firefox’s importance in an overbearing manner, so this is at best, a trough of arrogance if that makes any sense. Second, if your life revolves around making decisions based on the behavior of others instead of your own, you’re an easily manipulated sheep. Why wouldn’t you consider the facts, instead? Third, what gave you the impression WildBill was making an attempt at being cool? He clearly explains, “Don’t like it? Fine, don’t visit the site.” Four, WildBill’s decision to implement a script that prevents IE visitors from seeing his content doesn’t compare to the fact that Microsoft refuses to comply with international web development standards. Finally, it’s behavior and organization, not “behaviour” and “organisation.” And the thought provoking comments just keep on coming…

People like you force me to have IE as my default and most trusted browser. Don’t be so stuck up! We get the point.

First, the phrase, “people like you” is a faulty generalization, also known as an inductive fallacy. Your premise is based on an insignificant sample or proportion, automatically rendering your entire statement unsound and logically incorrect. Second, how are these “people” you speak of forcing you “to have IE as” your “default and most trusted browser?” Isn’t that something you’re fully capable of determining on your own? Based on your statement, you sir are also unable to process and interpret information without the influence of others persuading your decision. How sad. Third, if anyone deserves the title of “stuck up!” it’s Microsoft for their dedicated unwillingness to comply with international web development standards, making the lives of web designers around the world miserable as a result. In fact, Microsoft should pay me for the hours of time spent “fixing” compliant code, just so web sites would render properly in Internet Explorer. Finally, no, you don’t get the point. Your illogical reasoning, lack of thought, and sheer ignorance provide enough justification for me to arrive at such a strong and undeniable conclusion. Just when I thought there wasn’t any hope for this discussion, in comes Megaqwerty. Megaqwerty, if you happen to come across this post, please drop in and say hello.

Brett: We care, because IE isn’t standards compliant, so web developers have to do double to work to make their site work. They do the standards compliant code (Firefox, Opera, etc.) and then they have to recode it again to make it work in IE.

It’s a catch 22 situation because on one hand, we want people to be able to see our site, so we do all the extra work to make it work in IE as well. On the other hand, we want to stop having to do all of this extra work just because Microsoft doesn’t want to do their part to make their browser standards compliant. However if we fix our site so it looks fine in IE, the end user will be none the wiser as to the fact that their browser (in my humble opinion) sucks.

So there you have it. This site blocks IE because the admin doesn’t want to do the extra work anymore (and possibly for other reasons as well, but that would be my reason.)

Aaahhh, the refreshing feeling returns. Clarity and reason is presented in a disaster of a discussion, but not for long! Someone with the unique and clever alias “fuckfirefox” had to share his words of enlightenment.

Dont force your shitty browser on me, I should make have chose whatever browser I want without elitist nerds forcing a choice for me. Now that I finished posting this, I can go back to using IE and not visiting your site again. thx

This comment isn’t even worth picking apart. At this point, it’s just humorous. Such hostility and anger, but why? There’s more than one way to see what’s contained on that page. Surely duggmirror caught the site, which would have made the post available to IE users. Since the post was published in 2006, Google probably has a cached version available, which would also make the post available to IE users. How could I forget the post’s Digg page? After checking, sure enough, there are THREE mirrors. My silly browser that takes the name of an animal on fire was able to assist me in exploring the Internet to find those alternative sources. Has Internet Explorer failed you in your Internet exploration? Then try switching to Firefox.

One last observation before I wrap this slam session up. To fuckfirefox, the Internet Explorer patriot who’s threatened by elitist nerds; you linked to a site that encourages the use of Firefox you moron. Read much? Way to get your message across you easily persuaded tool.