Hello there,

This forum may be the wrong place for my question as I don't have a coding problem as such, just wondering if you could offer some advice with regard to supporting IE6. Basically, my site works perfect in all the current & recent versions of major browsers with the (obvious) exception of IE6, where it goes completely picasso. There's improper box rendering, non-transparent PNG's, background-image issues, the works...

Just wondering if you think it's worth my while fixing these problems for the dwindling minority who still use IE6? Or do I just leave it as is, maybe including an outdated browser warning for those (annoying!) few who refuse to get with the times?

Hi Sean

I feel your pain every day but the there is still a significant percentage of people using IE6 even though it does not always display your pages as it does in later IE versions and FF. I have often spent a half day on a page then popped it open in IE6 and it looks like crap back to drawing board.

Most people get an updated browser when they get a new machine so the SOHO (Small Office Home Office) user will see a new browser every 2-3 years which increases the number of people using the latest version of IE.

However in the corporate space or for people who don't even know there is a version of a browser (I often ask customers and some don't even know they are using Internet Explorer ) there is still a percentage of people using IE6.

Microsoft plan to end support of IE6 July 2010 but as long as there are double digit percentages using IE6 it makes sense to support it for the time being.

hope this helps

Kieran

Thanks Kieran, even though its not the answer I wanted to hear!

I was of the impression that there was a growing consensus amongst the design community to reject IE6 (in all it's evil forms, etc...), thereby 'forcing' its users to either upgrade or get very good at interpreting disjointed websites. Is it still in double digit usage in Ireland? I was aware that global usage still stands at around 12% but reckoned that the real figure for developed (if you can call Ireland 'developed') nations would be much lower...

The site in question is a portfolio site for my design work so, on one hand, I don't think there'll be anyone who isn't up to speed viewing it, but on the other, worried it will look bad for prospective employers if they do happen to see the IE6 version, especially since one of those prospective employers may very well be Microsoft themselves!

to be honest it's your personal decision. The problem would occur I think where you would do some work for a client who has an up to date browser. They are happy then go to Auntie Mary's hosue who has a creaking old PC and when she opens the site there on her crappy IE6 browser it looks rubbish - cue phone ringing -

And as for Microsoft they eat their own dogfood and all users would definitely be on IE7 or now IE8 and I don't think (speaking as an ex employee) they would lose too much sleep if your site didn't work on IE6.

Hi each website is different in the audience they attract.

If the site is related to a technical subject, chances are the site will be aimed at a technical audience and this visitors will tend to have the latest browsers with the majority of Firefox. You might see in your analytics software that the most used browser on the site is Firefox.

Technical Site Example = Browser Statistics

On the flipside, is the site is not related to a technical subject, you should find more of an even spread of browser usage, potentially with IE taking the lion's share.

Non technical Site Example = Usage share of web browsers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The bottom line is this: every site is different. You will have to analyse your traffic reports and browser usage and then based on that make a decision on whether you are going to support IE6 or not.

As stupid as this may sound, I never actually thought of looking at my own usage stats. I was looking at the bigger picture which, in this case, was far too big! Turns out IE6 accounts for a mere 2.7% of browsers in my stats and that's including my own use for testing. I guess that this case is well and truly closed.

Thanks lads.

I don't support IE6 anymore. It's stubborn and I'm well aware of the arguments against doing so. I just don't care. Onwards and upwards (if you want to call IE7 upwards).

For me, even though I'm not using IE too, it still important to fix website for IE, most users use IE as browser.