Yes, yes and a thousand times yes, using an older browser is insecure for the user and to get a new one is free, you have a lot of choices. None would argue that not supporting Netscape is an accessibility problem, and as a community we should punish non standard implementations.
For years we suffered with IE only apps and we as nice guys and gals made an extra effort to support IE, we limit ourselves, we worked extra to appease IE users which only resulted in Microsoft keeping their practices. If no other free browsers existed I would agree, we should support IE, but it was never the case.
We as devs, kept IE alive, we kept it crappy. A bad product has to die and that process starts by stop being supported.
Better spend you time making your site readable by real accessibility tools, for people with visibility problems, make your sites lighter so you don't need a beast to run it, only add JS if necessary and as little as possible; that is well spent time, supporting old obsolete browsers when there are so many modern and free ones readily available, to me is not just a waste of our time is also hindering progress.
A front-end developer from Mar del Plata, Argentina. Passionate about CSS, accessibility, and JS. Currently working on "just a small fix", as I've been doing for the last 15 years.
No one is willingly using IE. No one. They are either locked in frozen corporate / government devices or don't know any better. By dropping support you're not punishing a browser, you're punishing people that are not tech savvy enough to even know what a browser is, let alone install a new one.
The new Edge has an IE mode for websites that require IE. Specifically in enterprise environments. You're punishing users and devs if you make concessions or avoid new features to cater to IE
If locked in corporate environments they should be pressured because old browsers are not only "ugly" they are unsafe and "corporate" can easily allow the install of other browser or even installed themselves.
If someone doesn't know better, they'll learn, people didn't know how to use an email, people didn't know how to use a mouse; if you suspect your target audience may not know that other browsers exists, add some links to other browser, but that is for a very specific niche of users, I wouldn't blame if dev.to doesn't support IE, if you don't know how to install a browser, you'll not understand a word on the site anyway.
I suspect nobody worries about Androids 1.5 browser, and that is a real lock in for people, because in an older phone you can't put a modern browser and many people only have access to older phones; unlike desktop browsers.
L.A. based web developer slowly parsing through Stack Overflow. If you like hot web dev tips or stories about being a freelancer, check out my newsletter: https://codenutt.substack.com/p/coming-soon
ehm, given that most of the content of this website is technical and 99% related to web development, I'm pretty confident that if you code for a browser you should know what a browser is. That's not elitist, is common sense.
A quick check on the definition of elitist
practice of or belief in rule by an elite. (doesn't apply)
consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group. (doesn't apply either)
"but that is for a very specific niche of users, I wouldn't blame if dev.to doesn't support IE, if you don't know how to install a browser, you'll not understand a word on the site anyway."
Is fair that a woodworking site assume that their visitors know what wood is, getting offended by that obvious assumption is ridiculous.
I must say your comment is is the most selfrighteous thing I've read on dev.to so far.
L.A. based web developer slowly parsing through Stack Overflow. If you like hot web dev tips or stories about being a freelancer, check out my newsletter: https://codenutt.substack.com/p/coming-soon
L.A. based web developer slowly parsing through Stack Overflow. If you like hot web dev tips or stories about being a freelancer, check out my newsletter: https://codenutt.substack.com/p/coming-soon
Yes, yes and a thousand times yes, using an older browser is insecure for the user and to get a new one is free, you have a lot of choices. None would argue that not supporting Netscape is an accessibility problem, and as a community we should punish non standard implementations.
For years we suffered with IE only apps and we as nice guys and gals made an extra effort to support IE, we limit ourselves, we worked extra to appease IE users which only resulted in Microsoft keeping their practices. If no other free browsers existed I would agree, we should support IE, but it was never the case.
We as devs, kept IE alive, we kept it crappy. A bad product has to die and that process starts by stop being supported.
Better spend you time making your site readable by real accessibility tools, for people with visibility problems, make your sites lighter so you don't need a beast to run it, only add JS if necessary and as little as possible; that is well spent time, supporting old obsolete browsers when there are so many modern and free ones readily available, to me is not just a waste of our time is also hindering progress.
look at me, IE made me all riled up...
No one is willingly using IE. No one. They are either locked in frozen corporate / government devices or don't know any better. By dropping support you're not punishing a browser, you're punishing people that are not tech savvy enough to even know what a browser is, let alone install a new one.
The new Edge has an IE mode for websites that require IE. Specifically in enterprise environments. You're punishing users and devs if you make concessions or avoid new features to cater to IE
If locked in corporate environments they should be pressured because old browsers are not only "ugly" they are unsafe and "corporate" can easily allow the install of other browser or even installed themselves.
If someone doesn't know better, they'll learn, people didn't know how to use an email, people didn't know how to use a mouse; if you suspect your target audience may not know that other browsers exists, add some links to other browser, but that is for a very specific niche of users, I wouldn't blame if dev.to doesn't support IE, if you don't know how to install a browser, you'll not understand a word on the site anyway.
I suspect nobody worries about Androids 1.5 browser, and that is a real lock in for people, because in an older phone you can't put a modern browser and many people only have access to older phones; unlike desktop browsers.
if you don't know how to install a browser, you'll not understand a word on the site anyway.is the most elitist thing I've read on dev.to so far.ehm, given that most of the content of this website is technical and 99% related to web development, I'm pretty confident that if you code for a browser you should know what a browser is. That's not elitist, is common sense.
A quick check on the definition of elitist
"but that is for a very specific niche of users, I wouldn't blame if dev.to doesn't support IE, if you don't know how to install a browser, you'll not understand a word on the site anyway."
Is fair that a woodworking site assume that their visitors know what wood is, getting offended by that obvious assumption is ridiculous.
I must say your comment is is the most selfrighteous thing I've read on dev.to so far.
I realize my mistake. I thought you were talking about ALL websites, not just Dev.to. my apologies.
no problem, IE is a controverted topic it makes me all riled up too :D specially because as a Linux user those IE only years where tuff.
the memories, the horror...
Haha indeed.