| Author | Comment |
sterlinghurd
Probe
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
12:23 GMT
Total Posts: 3 | What internet browser do you use? If you’re like most people, you’ll say Internet Explorer. It’s great isn’t it? It’s free. It’s easy. Aside from the occasional patch, you don’t even have to download or install anything. It just comes with your computer, all set up and ready to go. So why would anyone ever use anything else? I think many people would have a difficult time answering this question. The internet is a complicated beast. The vast majority of its users don’t care how it works so much as that it does work. When deciding which software to use to access the internet they follow the same rubric: Does it work? Just like anything with four wheels can get you to the grocery store and back, just about any browser will allow you to get around the web. But when we buy a car, we’re usually asking more than just “Does it go?” We should take time to choose a browser that will give us a smooth, safe ride. When buying cars and choosing browsers there are usually better alternatives than to taking the first one we see. My goal is to answer the above question, and explain why not to use Internet Explorer.
Before I do that I need to untangle the web a bit with some history. The World Wide Web as we know it came about in the early 1990’s (by the hand of Al Gore, right? “I took the initiative in creating the internet.” – Al Gore, 9 March 1999, CNN’s Late Edition). Actually the internet was in the making long before Gore. It’s started in 1969 as a project funded by the Department of Defense as an experiment in reliable networking solutions. In the early 1980’s it was adopted by AT&T and University of California Berkley. It became more common among businesses and households around 1990 with Prodigy Internet. 1994 brought Netscape Navigator, the first widely used internet browser. In 1995 Microsoft came out with Internet Explorer. Over the next 7 years these two companies competed for user support by adding features and convenience to their products. These times were known among the more socially challenged circles as “The Browser Wars.” As Internet Explorer gained in popularity, Netscape Navigator began to fall off the charts. Other browsers like Firefox, Safari, and Opera began to pop up but by 2002 Explorer had secured its position by claiming an astounding 95% of cyberspace users. As every Windows based PC was shipped with Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s success in sales also meant success for their web browser. But it was not meant to last. Since 2002 Internet Explorer has seen a 20% drop in users (www.WebSideStory.com, www.OneStat.com, and www.TheCounter.com). And now we get to my original question: Why?
Well, for starters, it lacks reassurances of security that web surfers need in today’s world of identity theft and spyware. Internet Explorer has a long history of vulnerability to hackers. There was a time when users spent more time closing ads for natural male enhancement pills and flashy you-won-a-free-something-or-other pop ups than they did actually surfing the web. Because Explorer is so closely linked to the operating system it allows hackers a unique opportunity to run malicious programs that can modify system settings such as turning off a popup blocker or, worse, a firewall. Even in the latest version of Internet Explorer 7 there are ways for hackers to write code that give them access to any page you have open, including your bank statement or credit card information. Although viruses are not unique to Internet Explorer, they are much more prolific. The comparative ease to sidestep anti-virus features and the high volume of users draw hackers like sharks to the unwitting web surfer. To secure themselves, users must bulk down their computers with third party software. So where did these 20% of surfers go to feel safe without their trusty Norton Anti-Virus spear gun? Firefox. As Internet Explorer was experiencing decline, Firefox was gaining a following. Today more than 15% of people who browse the web have switched to Mozilla’s innovative Firefox and have never looked back (www.WebSideStory.com, www.OneStat.com, and www.TheCounter.com).
Internet Explorer is the Ford Pinto of the internet. Although, wildly popular in the 70’s, the Pinto had a serious design flaw. The problem was with the fuel tank. If rear ended, the car would burst into flame. Ford knew about the problem but their analysts decided it was not worth fixing. They figured that the flaw would cost them almost $50 million in deaths, injuries, and burned vehicles. But paying $11 per car times 12 million cars to fix the problem proved to be too costly so they just left it. Microsoft is essentially doing the same thing with Internet Explorer. The cost versus benefit show them that it’s not worth it to improve the security of their browser. Feeling secure and arrogant in its monopoly, they let up on the ongoing war against hackers to the point in which, according to the New York Times, the Department of Homeland Security advised users to consider another browser (In Search of a Browser That Banishes Clutter, by Juliet Chung). Even the government has taken sides in “The Browser War.” These alternative browsers, like Firefox, are still competing for your business and still fortifying their users against hackers.
But security isn’t the only thing Internet Explorer lacks. Ask any web developer what he or she hates most about Internet Explorer and you’ll get the same answer: blatant disregard for web standards. That may require a little explanation. The web, by its simplest definition, is a bunch of computers talking to each other. When you want to visit a site, facebook.com for example, your computer is, in essence, going up to facebook’s computer and saying, “Hey. I want to see that site.” Facebook then delivers the requested site. Now imagine what would happen if your computer didn’t speak the same language as facebook’s. When the internet was just getting started each browser was programmed differently or spoke a unique language. Web pages developers had to choose which browser they wanted to be able to see their site. This wasn’t too much of a problem because the internet was used mostly by localized groups of people such as a business or a college. These groups decided on a browser and wrote their sites to be compatible. As the internet spread and used by the general public, language became a problem. Different browsers would display web pages in different ways. So in 1994 the World Wide Web Consortium, more commonly knows as W3C, was formed. They strove to establish a standard and common language for the internet. This bit of code should be read this way. That bit of code should be read that way. Having a common language, web developers were able to flourish and make possible the rich web experiences that you enjoy today. Well, that was the idea at least. Certain browsers adhere more closely than others to these standards, Internet Explorer being among the worst and Firefox among the best. Firefox speaks with the eloquence of James E Talmage and Martin Luther King while Internet Explorer has all the vocabulary of a slack-jawed yokel. “That thar do-hicky is an image. It looks like stuff!” What this translates for you, as the end user, is a lack in really cool features. Web developers are limited in what they can offer you and must employ some powerful “strategery”, to quote George W Bush, to imitate what they can freely do with standards based browsers.
So, why do people still use Internet Explorer? Most of the time, they just don’t know any better. They don’t know that every time they log on to their bank account that they run the risk of having their username and password stolen. They don’t know that one of the reasons why their inbox is so cluttered with spam is because advertisers used Internet Explorer to gather information about them. They don’t know that the reason why this stupid online quiz their teacher is making them take isn’t working is because their browser just doesn’t know what to do with it. They don’t know that many of the sites they visit have features that are not available to Internet Explorer users. They just don’t know what they are missing out on. |
darksideprogramming
Guardian
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
12:30 GMT
Total Posts: 1005 | tl;dr.
Answer: no, not another one of these. We have had a few of these in the past, and they are nothing but troll fodder. As a matter of fact, there is a thread still open at this time, found here.
It appears your post is biased against IE, which I'm sure some people still prefer, and as a matter of fact, in some settings it is the only browser ALLOWED to be installed on computers (such as my work setting).
That being said, locking due to above listed reason and redundancy.
Oh, and btw, I don't take kindly to forum members insulting my boss, President Bush. |
Barrett
Administrator
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
12:35 GMT
Total Posts: 1676 | I'd like to keep this open. We need some nice heated debates here, ;)
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-Barrett A |
Vectris
Ultralisk
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
13:03 GMT
Total Posts: 375 | I like IE, it's always been good to me. Anyways all a hacker would get is plenty of information on programming calculators.
Also, because of your article I decided to try Firefox. And WOW, its the exact same as IE. It's actually worse.
In IE it doesn't display the outlines of all the pictures when their loading and it hides the picture symbol. In Firefox if I go to a site with lots of images, I can't even concentrate because of the outlines of all the pictures.
Mainly it' slower. I looked on you tube and they have an edit that says it makes it faster. Anyways it doesn't. So I'm immediately switching back to IE as it's better.
Also Firefox isn't compatible with the fonts or something because all the websites have aliasing on (or off i can't remember) so everything looks really grainy instead of the words automatically being smoothed over.
What is it in Firefox that makes it so much better than IE? |
Xphoenix
Ultralisk
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
17:10 GMT
Total Posts: 210 | First, that's now. What if you start storing personal information on your computer, like credit card numbers or social security numbers? Maybe it's unlikely, but you can't just ignore the threat.
What do you mean, "outlines of pictures?" I see a picture in FX. I see a picture in IE. They look identical.
Also, did you time with a stopwatch? In identical situations? You're probably just used to IE (or your computer is). For me, IE is slower.
Lastly, no one said Firefox was the only alternative. K-Meleon, Flock, and Opera are also other choices, though IMHO Opera is the only competition.
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~Xphoenix |
Vectris
Ultralisk
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
17:23 GMT
Total Posts: 375 | Well yes I know FX isn't the only other one, but I believe its the most widely used browser besides IE.
Anyways I haven't tried a stopwatch yet but it's obvious enough (for me) to tell which is faster. I would time it but I need to figure out a way to tell when the whole page has loaded, pictures and all, because most pages are longer than one screen length so I can not see the whole thing and tell when it is done.
Also I mean when Ff is loading a web page, the pictures don't just Pop-up immediately, they take time to load (I have DSL but it's still slow). So before the pictures have loaded, all of them are represented by a box with the picture symbol in the upper left hand corner.
But if any of you use Firefox can you please tell me how to turn on Anti-aliasing? I still might try it out if I could get this feature turned on.
Also, phoenix which do you use? |
Xphoenix
Ultralisk
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
17:32 GMT
Total Posts: 210 | I use FF. But for me, both IE and FF load fast enough that I'd be satisfied with either one :|
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~Xphoenix |
Vectris
Ultralisk
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
18:30 GMT
Total Posts: 375 | Actually I think the loading is nearly the same. And for some reason I like using FF just because its something different. But overall I think their really the same. All the options etc. are nearly the same thing. There in different places but thats about it. |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 29 Feb 2008
23:52 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | I'm back, and still using Firefox.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Vectris
Ultralisk
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
08:07 GMT
Total Posts: 375 | leethakor, do you know how to turn off the aliasing on Firefox??? (or turn on anti-aliasing, which is the same thing). |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
13:06 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | I'm sorry I don't as of right now. but i'm looking it up as i type this. *crosses fingers*
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
allynfolksjr
Administrator
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
16:15 GMT
Total Posts: 1892 | Opera kicks the crap out of Firefox. |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
17:18 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | it may kick but FF eats the O from opera. Hey nice to see that I beat you to the browser war topic.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Xphoenix
Ultralisk
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
19:37 GMT
Total Posts: 210 | calcproductions: http://ask.metafilter.com/59740/How-do-I-turn-on-Antialiasing-in-Firefox
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~Xphoenix |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 1 Mar 2008
21:43 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | good jop X. Now I can go back to doing what ever it was that I was doing.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
john777
Ultralisk
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
08:56 GMT
Total Posts: 289 | Well I would have to say that I like IE but I haven't spent a considerable amount of time using the competitors to have an opinion. But either way they all the seemed to get me what I needed ... the internet. :)
But I do have to ask what IE is excluding from its web stadards I have never found a page that won't load beacuse of incompatiobility. Is is specific tags or languages?
Also I think it is rather presumptuous to say that Microsoft is just sitting counting its money while IE goes down the tubes. They obviously make some effort with windows update.
And If I remember right I think that the credit for "strategery" would go to Will Ferrell and Saturday Night Live, not President Bush.
I also find it fun to use netscape from time to time. (just to throw them into the mix) |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
13:51 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | well you see Microsoft isn't just counting there money. they're running around trying to get project "black widow" going. After Vista they've realized that they need something good and fast. I say that Netscape would be ok since it was made by the mozilla ppl back before they were fired. And FF is still the most secure browser on the web. don't believe me just tell me how me sites say "having troubles. Get Opera/Netscape" NO they say get FF and take back the web.
Also @ calcproduction: get Fasterfox. Then you'll be happy. and for good measure download Firetune to limit how much memory it can use. Because FF is a memory whore. Plus FF has DTA which is by far the greatest downlaod manager that's built inside of a browser.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Vectris
Ultralisk
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
17:04 GMT
Total Posts: 375 | Where can I get Fasterfox and Firetune (I'm to lazy to google). And are they free? |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
17:22 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | Yes and here. http://files3.majorgeeks.com/files/f06ae085fe74cd78ad5e89496b197fe1/browsers/firetune.exe is firetune download link. Make sure to optimize memory usage.
Fasterfox link Fasterfox Make sure to goto the latter in FF
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Xphoenix
Ultralisk
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
18:27 GMT
Total Posts: 210 | Alternatively, go to here for Fasterfox, because last I checked URLs couldn't start with "http://https//ww..."
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~Xphoenix |
Barrett
Administrator
Posted: 2 Mar 2008
18:54 GMT
Total Posts: 1676 | wow, good point.
now they can. (URLs with https)
Are there any other protocols that should be supported? Before https the only ones that were allowed were ftp://, http:// and mailto:
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-Barrett A |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 3 Mar 2008
06:08 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | Yes all of them.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Barrett
Administrator
Posted: 3 Mar 2008
08:48 GMT
Total Posts: 1676 | nope. not ever going to allow javascript:
and just in case there is anything else that can be disruptive, we'll choose the ones to allow selectively.
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-Barrett A |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 3 Mar 2008
20:26 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | well I just did the code from here and https: had a http:// infront of it for some reason. And why not. Javascript works for me. I mean it's awesome what a little javascript can do to a webpage. LOL (I don't trust JS it scares me.)
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
Barrett
Administrator
Posted: 3 Mar 2008
21:16 GMT
Total Posts: 1676 | You have to include the two slashes after it or the forum parser won't recognize it.
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-Barrett A |
Xero Xcape
Marine
Posted: 4 Mar 2008
10:26 GMT
Total Posts: 29 | I still use WWW on my NeXT Cube, or did you forget to mention the granddaddy of the current incarnation of the internet and browsers altogether? :)
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BASIC flames are for n00bs, you don't want to be a n00b do you? | My other calc is a Porsche. |
1337h4kor
Wraith
Posted: 4 Mar 2008
16:23 GMT
Total Posts: 612 | I did. I'm sory Xero Xcape. Plz forgive me.
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I wish i could swim in the sea of probabilty but once during my life. |
