[alistairfellowes]

I've read recently that still more than 10% of users on the internet are using these browsers, and I know that many companies have not upgraded past IE 6. Some parts of the NHS, for example, have not...

So it's necessary to design web content with IE 6 and IE 7 in mind? Do some of you ignore these old browsers completely?

[brightonmike]

Look at the browser stats for the site you're designing for.

The company I work for, IE6/7 make up 6% and that's fastly decreasing, at it's current trend it'll be about 2% by Christmas. So in my case, I'm not designing for them.

[notbanksy]

I never ignore IE6 completely, although there have been occasions where I've used a universal IE6 stylesheet. But if you know the rendering bugs in advance, it doesn't really take any longer to support these browsers, and it's good practice in terms of accessibility.

IE6 is certainly about to disappear, but who knows how long IE7 is going to be with us...

[MikeChipshop]

Would your site be aimed at people in the NHS who are supposed to be working?
I think you get my point but as brightonmike above said, you need to figure out exactly who will be the target audience of your site and what their major browser is. I dropped support for IE6 as a built in service, in the sites i develop, quite a while ago now and clients that require it either pay an extra premium for IE6 support or they pay me to analyse exactly why they want it and if it is worth it (most don't).

So far the only time I've needed to throw in IE6 support as part of the package was when i was revamping the website of a local rural Norfolk community group. The main target audience were over 60's 'silver surfers' (Many of which made me loads of tea and cakes, so a definite plus there ). It was obvious that nearly all these users were using IE6 and short of going round to all their houses and upgrading their browsers (and re-educating them) it was best to just support IE6.

[Ste Hughes]

I've completely ignored IE6 and IE7

Most of the percentage of IE users are not english. In India they are not allowed to use SSL encryption by law so they use code that protects data and only works in IE6 (Could be wrong I'm not an indian)

China are still big on IE6 for what ever reason.

I don't make websites for china men or indians.

So fook em.

[Script©]

Depends on who your target user is.

[alistairfellowes]

Some good answers, thanks guys.

I used the NHS as an example, as I work in an NHS hospital (as a nurse) one day a week, so I know some businesses don't upgrade often. I seem to remember that even the large computer suit in my uni has only IE 7 :/

My query was more of a general one, when designing sites for the mass market. I'm all for making sites I make as accessible as possible, so where possible I hope to make them work for at least IE 7... though I don't really know the pitfalls...

I've also had issues with getting sites to work well on the PS3 browser, Wii, and mobile devices (but at least I'm trying)

[kyme]

I don't mind IE6 anymore, it gives my CSS codes so dirty. But on IE7, i have to make sure if the client
is racing more in entertainment.

[Black Nova Designs.co.uk]

You could always code in a plugin into your site where if it detects it on a older web-browser it will preview it in a combatible version for that browser, but the big question is, is it worth it?

but then the question states, you may have a customer that browse in IE6 and wants to spend £half a million! but you lose this customer due to combatibilty issues? But then can you then get enough customers in the newer browsers to compensate for the lose of money from that one user.

[rallport]

Totally depends on your niche and the type of project.

However, if you follow good practice with your css and avoid the common pitfalls you should be fine.

This post has been edited by rallport: 13 November 2011 - 07:12 PM

[brightonmike]

Usage of our companies website through IE6/7 is now down to 4.8%. IE7 users in particular are dropping like flies.

[MikeChipshop]

brightonmike, on 16 November 2011 - 02:31 PM, said:

Usage of our companies website through IE6/7 is now down to 4.8%. IE7 users in particular are dropping like flies.

Soon come the day when i won't support 7! I really don't support 6 currently and if a client wants it then they pay the extra hourly rates for any fixes that may need adding.

[mrchristoph]

I make IE6 functional but not necessarily pretty, but I can usually make IE7 look almost the same with little hassle so that it supported by me.

[roothost]

I don't support 6 at all, unless I am being specifically paid to so - which is rarer than an albino cod!!

7 still gets usage, but generally 8 and 9

[brightonmike]

I personally question the possible long term effects of supporting old browsers. If all web developers stopped, it would force people to upgrade because nothing would work.

By supporting old browsers, you're giving these people little obvious (to them anyway) reason to bother upgrading, so they stick around much longer than they should.


Just a theory btw, speculation.

[MikeChipshop]

brightonmike, on 16 November 2011 - 04:02 PM, said:

I personally question the possible long term effects of supporting old browsers. If all web developers stopped, it would force people to upgrade because nothing would work.

By supporting old browsers, you're giving these people little obvious (to them anyway) reason to bother upgrading, so they stick around much longer than they should.


Just a theory btw, speculation.

A theory i totally agree with.

However, in practice, no one want's to stick their neck out and be the first.

Google is one of the good few that do this.

[BlueDreamer]

I don't do anything for IE6 unless specified and then I charge some

IE7, well UK usage is down to <5%, I still try to make pages presentable but that's it - when IE7 start dipping sub 2% I will charge accordingly.

[GigafishLabs]

BlueDreamer, on 16 November 2011 - 08:11 PM, said:

I don't do anything for IE6 unless specified and then I charge some

IE7, well UK usage is down to <5%, I still try to make pages presentable but that's it - when IE7 start dipping sub 2% I will charge accordingly.

The easiest way is to write yourself a javascript browser detection script,
and put raw html website below IE8 with information, users can access info and they are told to upgrade.
It won't lose you visitors.

[j05hr]

GigafishLabs, on 08 April 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

The easiest way is to write yourself a javascript browser detection script,
and put raw html website below IE8 with information, users can access info and they are told to upgrade.
It won't lose you visitors.

What about people viewing your work at companies that don't upgrade their browser? It doesn't matter so much anymore because IE6 has gone

[GigafishLabs]

j05hr, on 08 April 2012 - 03:59 PM, said:

What about people viewing your work at companies that don't upgrade their browser? It doesn't matter so much anymore because IE6 has gone

You didn't fully understand. Below IE8 means IE4,IE5,IE6,IE7 ect.

Cheers

[Zamin]

I personally do not design for those browsers, is out of all rational thought, even as Microsoft stopped providing support for IE6 from 2 years ago ...

Regards

[Formir]

Well I have stopped development for IE6 and 7 in our companies landing pages.

Microsoft even launched a new website about it: http://www.ie6countdown.com/

The above mentioned site is for IE6 only - so IE7 wont be with us much longer either!

With thanks and kind regards

Eddie