Being a web developer I get to create dynamic content rich websites and I use various languages such as HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and good ole CSS. I strive to make them as web standard friendly as possible by complying to the current web standards. You'd think that'd be enough, but noooo. Web developers are struck with one of the biggest challenges when developing a website... Browsers! Unfortunately not all browsers adhere to web standards exactly the same, and some don't at all *cough* IE *cough cough*. Because of this we are often plagued with creating hacks to ensure that each browser displays the site as closely as possible as the others.
There are approximately three major browsers web developers normally concern themselves with: Internet Explorer, FireFox, Opera, but Safari and Konqueror are sometimes are taken into account for MACs and Linux users (even though FireFox/Opera are available for Mac and Linux). Both FireFox and Opera (as well as Safari/Konqueror) adhere almost entirely to web standards, with each varying here and there. But not Internet Explorer... Why would IE adhere to standards and not make up their own? Why would any division of Microsoft adhere to a global standard when they can try and monopolize their own. IE by far steals the cake for not adhering to web standards and causing a world of problems for web developers.
Because of this IE is the bane of my existence. It causes me headaches on a daily basis. I'll find myself coding some CSS for a template and I'll test it in my browser (FireFox of course) and it'll work great, and my code passes all standards tests. Then I'll open the template in IE and everything is broken! IE can't even handle some of the simplest CSS and HTML the way a browser SHOULD. It drives me to near madness some days, where I just want to write a javascript function that checks if the user's browser is IE or not and if it is, provides them with a popup link to download FireFox or Opera. Having to create multiple external CSS files for loading on different browsers or hacking CSS to make it work in IE is just irritating! What's even more irritating is that it still holds the largest user-base for browsing the web purely because it comes pre-installed with windows, making it very hard for competitors to get their foot in the door. Why would an end-user download another browser when they already have one (albeit the worst one ever). Most people don't even know how IE is made of pure crap and they should download a better browser. Even with FireFox having made significant dents in IE's share-hold of the market, web developers still need to make their websites IE friendly if they want to make it in the business world.
However Microsoft has promised that the release of IE8 will conform to web standards, which ironically passed the Acid2 Test where it's predicesors have miserably failed. Now granted you'll probably see a comment from Andy(Goat) make a smart remark about how FireFox doesn't pass it either and Opera does, but poo on his face, I'm a FireFox fan boy and FireFox adheres to standards enough to not make developing websites miserable or require hacks. Even with IE8, it's only in Beta1 and doesn't have a solid release date. And even when it is released it won't immediately replace ever previous version of IE. There will be millions of user still using IE7 just like there are still millions using IE6. It will take years for IE8 to assimilate all other previous versions.
Not only is IE a terrible browser because of standards, it's an insecure one. IE is plagued with vulnerabilities and security holes which are constantly taken advantage of my malicious people. IE is a Microsoft product, and with being a Microsoft product comes with the price of malicious attacks made on you purely because you're associated with Microsoft. Not only that but because they hold the largest market share of users, that also means attacks towards them will affect the most people, deal the most damage. Spyware seeps through the browser like water through a strainer. Ever seen a friends computer with those wretched toolbar addons, or they get a popup every other minute? All "mostly" preventable with using another, better browser. This isn't to say other browsers are completely secure, it's near impossible to have one that is "completely secure". I'm saying that you're chances of contracting a virus, or spyware, or having personal information stolen are gianormously increased when using IE versus another browser.
Bottom line is I hate IE. I hate it with all the fiber of my being. I dream of single handedly destroying it! Now if only Google would make a browser...
Note: images borrowed from various sites
Being a web developer I get to create dynamic content rich websites and I use various languages such as HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and good ole CSS. I strive to make them as web standard friendly as possible by complying to the current web standards. You'd think that'd be enough, but noooo. Web developers are struck with one of the biggest challenges when developing a website... Browsers! Unfortunately not all browsers adhere to web standards exactly the same, and some don't at all *cough* IE *cough cough*. Because of this we are often plagued with creating hacks to ensure that each browser displays the site as closely as possible as the others.
There are approximately three major browsers web developers normally concern themselves with: Internet Explorer, FireFox, Opera, but Safari and Konqueror are sometimes are taken into account for MACs and Linux users (even though FireFox/Opera are available for Mac and Linux). Both FireFox and Opera (as well as Safari/Konqueror) adhere almost entirely to web standards, with each varying here and there. But not Internet Explorer... Why would IE adhere to standards and not make up their own? Why would any division of Microsoft adhere to a global standard when they can try and monopolize their own. IE by far steals the cake for not adhering to web standards and causing a world of problems for web developers.
Because of this IE is the bane of my existence. It causes me headaches on a daily basis. I'll find myself coding some CSS for a template and I'll test it in my browser (FireFox of course) and it'll work great, and my code passes all standards tests. Then I'll open the template in IE and everything is broken! IE can't even handle some of the simplest CSS and HTML the way a browser SHOULD. It drives me to near madness some days, where I just want to write a javascript function that checks if the user's browser is IE or not and if it is, provides them with a popup link to download FireFox or Opera. Having to create multiple external CSS files for loading on different browsers or hacking CSS to make it work in IE is just irritating! What's even more irritating is that it still holds the largest user-base for browsing the web purely because it comes pre-installed with windows, making it very hard for competitors to get their foot in the door. Why would an end-user download another browser when they already have one (albeit the worst one ever). Most people don't even know how IE is made of pure crap and they should download a better browser. Even with FireFox having made significant dents in IE's share-hold of the market, web developers still need to make their websites IE friendly if they want to make it in the business world.
However Microsoft has promised that the release of IE8 will conform to web standards, which ironically passed the Acid2 Test where it's predicesors have miserably failed. Now granted you'll probably see a comment from Andy(Goat) make a smart remark about how FireFox doesn't pass it either and Opera does, but poo on his face, I'm a FireFox fan boy and FireFox adheres to standards enough to not make developing websites miserable or require hacks. Even with IE8, it's only in Beta1 and doesn't have a solid release date. And even when it is released it won't immediately replace ever previous version of IE. There will be millions of user still using IE7 just like there are still millions using IE6. It will take years for IE8 to assimilate all other previous versions.
Not only is IE a terrible browser because of standards, it's an insecure one. IE is plagued with vulnerabilities and security holes which are constantly taken advantage of my malicious people. IE is a Microsoft product, and with being a Microsoft product comes with the price of malicious attacks made on you purely because you're associated with Microsoft. Not only that but because they hold the largest market share of users, that also means attacks towards them will affect the most people, deal the most damage. Spyware seeps through the browser like water through a strainer. Ever seen a friends computer with those wretched toolbar addons, or they get a popup every other minute? All "mostly" preventable with using another, better browser. This isn't to say other browsers are completely secure, it's near impossible to have one that is "completely secure". I'm saying that you're chances of contracting a virus, or spyware, or having personal information stolen are gianormously increased when using IE versus another browser.
