Here is a nice article I thought I would share with you all. I need to make it clear that this article is not mine...It is © by the author, Mark Daoust. I thought you guys may enjoy this article.
Internet Explorer 7.0 and CSS2
By Mark Daoust (c) 2005
As many of you know, Microsoft has announced that it will be
releasing Internet Explorer 7.0 this summer to those who are on
the XP operating system in a project code named "Rincon". The
move is reportedly being done to improve the security of the IE
browser. However, with browsers such as Firefox gaining market
share, many people speculate that the new Internet Explorer will
come with more than just security enhancements. Features such as
tabbed browsing, built in anti-spyware, and RSS aggregating are
all features that appear to be coming with the Rincon project.
The real question, however, for any website owner and developer
is whether Microsoft will create a browser that interprets CSS2
in a standard way. Currently, Microsoft does not support all of
CSS2's functionalities and also adds some functionalities that
CSS2 never initially supported. The result is nothing more than
a major headache for those developing a website that is
accessible to all people, regardless of the browser they are
using.
So will Microsoft finally adhere to the official CSS2
specifications? Don't bet on it. A look at Microsoft's history
and their current position in the marketplace seems to point
to the idea that they will continue to buck the open source
development trend and try to mold the marketplace according to
their vision.
Microsoft Views Incompatibility as a Competitive Advantage
Most website developers develop a website for Internet Explorer
first, and for the secondary browsers second. The reason for
this is obvious. If you have a website that works in Firefox,
but appears broken in Internet Explorer, the site appears broken
to over 90% of its visitors. On the flip side, if the site works
fine in Internet Explorer, but not in Firefox, only a small
percentage of your website visitors are inconvenienced.
Microsoft, being the vast market share holder in the browser
market, can influence the behavior of website owners and web
surfers. Because not every site is optimized for browsers such
as Firefox, web surfers who try to make the transition to
Firefox will find themselves on familiar sites that appear
broken to them in Firefox, but not Internet Explorer because
Internet Explorer does not follow a standard set of rules that
any browser can comply with. The result is that these surfers
who try to make the transition over to Firefox will go back to
the more familiar Internet Explorer.
Keep the Advantage, Eliminate the Disadvantages
There are a few reasons for people making the switch from
Internet Explorer to Firefox. There is the obvious group of
people that truly believe Microsoft is evil, so they will do
anything to avoid a Microsoft product no matter how much it
inconveniences them. Microsoft is not worried about these people
so much because they will always represent a small group. What
Microsoft does need to worry about is the real advantages of
making the switch to Firefox.
Security
Security is probably the top reason people make the switch to
Firefox. Now that most people have been introduced to spyware,
awareness of PC security is becoming a bigger issue. Any person
who does a little research will quickly realize that most
spyware programs focus on the vulnerabilities of Internet
Explorer, since that is what most surfers use. Making the switch
to Firefox not only gives surfers new security features that are
not available with Internet Explorer, but they also remove
themselves as the target of spyware creators.
Since security is one of the biggest reasons people leave
Internet Explorer, the people at Microsoft have decided to make
security a major priority. And, in the interest of giving credit
where credit is due, they should be commended for finally looking
to improve the security of their browser. Who knows how many
countless computers were infected with spyware programs due to
the vulnerabilities Internet Explorer presented.
Features
Firefox also offers unique features that users cannot get
with Internet Explorer. Features such as tabbed browsing, RSS
Aggregation, and others have proven to be more than just nice
ideas or some programmer's pet hobby. Unfortunately for Firefox,
they have proved to be the market testing for Microsoft, without
Microsoft having to spend any money on development. Look for
Microsoft to continue to copy the successful features of Firefox
in the future, and ignore those features that are not successful.
Back to CSS2
What is CSS2 really? CSS2 is nothing more than a set of
recommendations for controlling layout and design of websites
put forth by the World Wide Web Consortium. The W3C's goal for
their recommendations is to avoid market fragmentation on the
Internet, thus creating a more uniform and more enjoyable
surfing experience for web users. Ironically enough, Microsoft
and the W3C have the same goal, although Microsoft would like to
have uniformity on the web as a result of everyone using Internet
Explorer.
As long as Microsoft is able to hold onto its market share
through segmenting the market, they will do so. They will have
this ability as long as they have an overwhelming majority of
the market share. Unfortunately for those who make their living
designing and developing websites, there are only two hopeful
outcomes to make life easier: either Microsoft loses enough
market share that they decide to adopt the W3C's recommendations,
or Microsoft successfully eliminates all browser competitors and
is the only option for web surfers. Until one of these two
options occurs, expect Microsoft to continue to interpret the
web as they see fit, and in a way that will keep users on
Microsoft products.
Internet Explorer 7.0 and CSS2
By Mark Daoust (c) 2005
As many of you know, Microsoft has announced that it will be
releasing Internet Explorer 7.0 this summer to those who are on
the XP operating system in a project code named "Rincon". The
move is reportedly being done to improve the security of the IE
browser. However, with browsers such as Firefox gaining market
share, many people speculate that the new Internet Explorer will
come with more than just security enhancements. Features such as
tabbed browsing, built in anti-spyware, and RSS aggregating are
all features that appear to be coming with the Rincon project.
The real question, however, for any website owner and developer
is whether Microsoft will create a browser that interprets CSS2
in a standard way. Currently, Microsoft does not support all of
CSS2's functionalities and also adds some functionalities that
CSS2 never initially supported. The result is nothing more than
a major headache for those developing a website that is
accessible to all people, regardless of the browser they are
using.
So will Microsoft finally adhere to the official CSS2
specifications? Don't bet on it. A look at Microsoft's history
and their current position in the marketplace seems to point
to the idea that they will continue to buck the open source
development trend and try to mold the marketplace according to
their vision.
Microsoft Views Incompatibility as a Competitive Advantage
Most website developers develop a website for Internet Explorer
first, and for the secondary browsers second. The reason for
this is obvious. If you have a website that works in Firefox,
but appears broken in Internet Explorer, the site appears broken
to over 90% of its visitors. On the flip side, if the site works
fine in Internet Explorer, but not in Firefox, only a small
percentage of your website visitors are inconvenienced.
Microsoft, being the vast market share holder in the browser
market, can influence the behavior of website owners and web
surfers. Because not every site is optimized for browsers such
as Firefox, web surfers who try to make the transition to
Firefox will find themselves on familiar sites that appear
broken to them in Firefox, but not Internet Explorer because
Internet Explorer does not follow a standard set of rules that
any browser can comply with. The result is that these surfers
who try to make the transition over to Firefox will go back to
the more familiar Internet Explorer.
Keep the Advantage, Eliminate the Disadvantages
There are a few reasons for people making the switch from
Internet Explorer to Firefox. There is the obvious group of
people that truly believe Microsoft is evil, so they will do
anything to avoid a Microsoft product no matter how much it
inconveniences them. Microsoft is not worried about these people
so much because they will always represent a small group. What
Microsoft does need to worry about is the real advantages of
making the switch to Firefox.
Security
Security is probably the top reason people make the switch to
Firefox. Now that most people have been introduced to spyware,
awareness of PC security is becoming a bigger issue. Any person
who does a little research will quickly realize that most
spyware programs focus on the vulnerabilities of Internet
Explorer, since that is what most surfers use. Making the switch
to Firefox not only gives surfers new security features that are
not available with Internet Explorer, but they also remove
themselves as the target of spyware creators.
Since security is one of the biggest reasons people leave
Internet Explorer, the people at Microsoft have decided to make
security a major priority. And, in the interest of giving credit
where credit is due, they should be commended for finally looking
to improve the security of their browser. Who knows how many
countless computers were infected with spyware programs due to
the vulnerabilities Internet Explorer presented.
Features
Firefox also offers unique features that users cannot get
with Internet Explorer. Features such as tabbed browsing, RSS
Aggregation, and others have proven to be more than just nice
ideas or some programmer's pet hobby. Unfortunately for Firefox,
they have proved to be the market testing for Microsoft, without
Microsoft having to spend any money on development. Look for
Microsoft to continue to copy the successful features of Firefox
in the future, and ignore those features that are not successful.
Back to CSS2
What is CSS2 really? CSS2 is nothing more than a set of
recommendations for controlling layout and design of websites
put forth by the World Wide Web Consortium. The W3C's goal for
their recommendations is to avoid market fragmentation on the
Internet, thus creating a more uniform and more enjoyable
surfing experience for web users. Ironically enough, Microsoft
and the W3C have the same goal, although Microsoft would like to
have uniformity on the web as a result of everyone using Internet
Explorer.
As long as Microsoft is able to hold onto its market share
through segmenting the market, they will do so. They will have
this ability as long as they have an overwhelming majority of
the market share. Unfortunately for those who make their living
designing and developing websites, there are only two hopeful
outcomes to make life easier: either Microsoft loses enough
market share that they decide to adopt the W3C's recommendations,
or Microsoft successfully eliminates all browser competitors and
is the only option for web surfers. Until one of these two
options occurs, expect Microsoft to continue to interpret the
web as they see fit, and in a way that will keep users on
Microsoft products.
