If you’ve never visited this site using Internet Explorer 6, you probably are unaware that up until now doing so would load a big ugly alert box explaining how foolish you were being to do so — being that I am an arrogant Mac and Firefox user, not to mention that IE6 is dangerously insecure (besides not supporting alpha channel transparency in PNG images, which are the building blocks of this site’s design).
Today I had the chance for the first time to see just how horrible the new design looks in IE6, and as much as I don’t want to support that browser, I also couldn’t handle thrusting visitors into the hideous mess of this site in IE6 without at least giving them a taste of what it’s supposed to look like first. To that end, I’ve created a more friendly “welcome” page for IE6 users, giving them one last chance to upgrade before proceeding, and in the process showing them a hint of the site’s actual design as it’s intended to appear.
But of course, since you’re not using IE6 (are you?), you have no idea what that page looks like. So, I thought I’d show it off a bit. Here it is. Enjoy. Or not. Actually, it’s not really intended to be enjoyed, so don’t. (I’m really only posting this link so I can test the HTTP_REFERER link functionality I embedded in it. [And yes, I know the correct spelling is “referrer.” Tell that to whoever created the names of the HTTP host headers. I mean whomever. So there.])
Comments
6 responses to “Still wish you were using Internet Explorer 6?”
Some of us check out your site at work. We are not allowed to upgrade to IE7 or firefox. So I will have to “suffer”. Actually I could care less what your site looks like, I go to it to read your blogs not to check out a “fancy” design.
Well, that’s a good point; I guess I take my admin access for granted. Still, I don’t think corporations have a good excuse for not letting users run Windows Update themselves if their I.T. departments aren’t going to do it, especially given how long IE7 has been out now.
They have a perfectly goo reason. A good majority of the computers at our work are hooked up to validated pieces of equipment. Any change in the software could change the way the system works. It would need to be revalidated at that point. It is possible and will likely happen at some point but a long process must be gone through to make it happen. I can at least read what you post it just doesn’t look the way you intend. Not a big deal. If I want I could check on my home computer.
Well I guess in a situation like that, the computer is really a specialized device that isn’t intended to be used to visit my site in the first place.
I’m not trying to be standoffish; my insults should all be taken with a grain of salt. What it really boils down to is that I think there are all kinds of cool things that can be done with web design now that alpha channel transparency is available, and it’s infuriating that IE6 didn’t support it, since the PNG format has been around for years (and has been supported by other browsers for years).
I do. And I hope you take mine too. You are closer to this so it means something to you. For me I just want to keep up with my friends blogs. Franks is screwed up for me too by the way.
Well, Frank’s blog assumes you have a 1600×1200 monitor. ;)