Many websites still ask Firefox users to "download Internet Explorer"
Top websites shun Firefox users
/v3-uk/news/2008694/top-websites-shun-firefox-users
24 Jun 2005, Iain Thomson , V3
One in ten UK websites are incompatible with Firefox, according to research from web testing firm SciVisum.
The company found that three per cent of sites turn away non Internet Explorer users, and seven per cent use non-standard code recognised only by IE.
Nearly 50 million people have downloaded Firefox, making it the second most popular browser on the market.
"When webmasters design for IE and not standards-compliant browsers they often end up restricting user access to the website, which can have detrimental effects for a company," said Deri Jones, chief executive at SciVisum.
"Surprisingly, after all these years, users of standards-compliant browsers are still faced with sites that do not support their browser or with a link suggesting that they download IE, a browser they had presumably chosen not to use."
The sites named and shamed in the report for being IE only include the Lloyds/TSB insurance site, the government's Job Centre web page and Odeon cinemas.
SciVisum recommends developers to use the official Cascading Style Sheets 2 (CSS2) specification, presented by the World Wide Web Consortium.
CSS2 is a non-browser specific technology that allows all mainstream browsers full access to sites.
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
Surprise surprise
Lazy web developing if you ask me.
Posted by Paul, 24 Jun 2005
GO OPERA
I dont see why people want to waste time on such a browser that has so many gliches as IE . Firefox has become a nightmare like IE. The pages that dont render in FF work in OPERA which is to the WEB Standard well hey getting it right at OPERA just matter of time
Posted by Opera USER, 26 Jun 2005
What about the next IE?
Someone told me there would be a new version of IE soon. So i guess Firefox's growing market share will take a hit then. will web developers need to redesign sites again for that or will ie 6 compat be enough?
Posted by Paul S, 27 Jun 2005
Dump IE
I am a relatively recent convert to Firefox and at times I forget how much useful functionality there is - I used to have a special utility to resize web pages so that I could print them but I don't need it with Firefox.
I have tried Opera and although I quite use it person I share the PC with can't get on with the tabbed interface.
We shouldn't be disputing which is better Firefox or Opera we should be demanding the internet sites are compliant the popular browsers!
Posted by L Smith, 27 Jun 2005
Top websites shun Firefox users
If a website requires me to use IE(which I long since abandoned as inefficient and hopeless), I always find another website and product, if available.
Posted by Richard, 01 Jul 2005
Vote with your clicks
If you find out that a website you want to access doesn't work with anything but IE, tell the webmaster and stop going to the site.
It's slow to take effect, but it does work.
Posted by -cybervegan, 28 Jun 2005