My id agrees with the calls to let IE die a horrible death, but I agree with your point: from a service perspective, we cannot just drop support for IE. Libraries will hopefully uphold a higher standard of accessibility than some other places on the web. 

In my heart of hearts, I assume that anyone using BlackBerry or IE is doing so because they want to have a sub-optimal experience on the web, but I can't quite bring myself to design that way. Instead, with nearly everything I design, I have to do some IE-workarounds to make it not suck on a browser that can't be bothered to join the 21st century.

*sigh*

Ken

-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Schofield
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 10:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Browser Wars

Hi Code4Lib,

 

Ever since Microsoft announced the new IE auto-update policy, the blogosphere is fussing. This is definitely important (and good) news, but sites-Smashing Magazine has three articles on it in the last few days-are really pushing the "drop IE support," and "its literally slowing the internet down." I'm down, but that attitude-especially for libraries-isn't really the right one to have. It is, IMHO, an old view. A smart design strategy with progressive enhancement can deliver content to . everyone - which should be the priority for non-prof / [local-]government web presences over flare. Right?

 

Anyway, all of this is coming from some really good web developers who don't really face the same issues that have to be considered for library sites. I was just curious what the library community actually thought about this.

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

 

 

Here's some reading:

 

"Old Browsers ar eHOlding Back the Web" (July 9th):
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/07/09/old-browsers-are-holding-back-the
-web/

 

"Dear Web User: Please Upgrade Your Browser" (July 10th) :
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/07/10/dear-web-user-please-upgrade-your
-browser/

 

"It's Time to Stop Blaming Internet Explorer" (July 12th):
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/07/12/its-time-to-stop-blaming-internet
-explorer/

 

A recent library blog today: "Have you Given Much thought to browsers"? :
http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1528