Do you remember the launch of Internet Explorer 6? The month was August 2001. The commercial Internet was starting to really heat up, and Apple had yet to unveil its very first iPod. As for fluxiom, it wasn’t even a concept! Eight years later, the browser is officially a relic.
A brief history of IE6
Eight years later, the browser is officially a relic. Superseded in October 2006 by the radically different version 7, and then again last March by version 8, it has been declared dead many times over, as it should be. Indeed, for all the innovations it brought in its day and age, it is now incapable of rendering modern sites, and constitutes a serious security liability for those still using it. It served us well, but it has no place on the web of today.
We are phasing out support for IE6
Following in the steps of many high-profile sites such as YouTube, MobileMe and Basecamp, fluxiom will progressively drop support for Internet Explorer 6, starting in the fall.
Supporting Internet Explorer 6 currently prevents us from focusing our energies on last-generation web technologies, that would dramatically improve the fluxiom experience. It is also incompatible with many speed optimisations we are waiting to put into effect, meaning it effectively holds back our entire user base, which we find unacceptable.
Finally, supporting Internet Explorer 6, and testing every part of the site on the browser, requires time and energy, which we cannot spend developing new features or improving existing ones. Here too, we feel this time is no longer wisely invested.
There are exceptions
Very few users still connect to the fluxiom application with Internet Explorer 6, and we will be pro-actively contacting those of you who still do to understand your particular circumstances. However, we know some of you are working with clients who have no choice in the matter, and do not want your usual workflow to be disrupted.
This is why we will continue to support Internet Explorer 6 in upcoming public versions of the Dropboxes and Stages, meaning clients and partners of our users will be unaffected by the change. The versions they see may not be as full-featured or as advanced as the versions we will serve to other browsers but they will work reliably.
What it means for you
If your own clients use Internet Explorer 6, Dropboxes and Stages will still work. We encourage you to educate those around you about the dangers of IE6, but there is no need to panic or to alter your workflow at the moment. Support remains unchanged.
If you still use Internet Explorer 6 to access fluxiom.com or your fluxiom account, you will need to upgrade to a more modern browser to continue using the platform. We recommend Firefox, Safari or the newer versions of Internet Explorer.
The adventurous amongst you will be pleased to know we also unofficially support Google Chrome. This means things should work well, but we cannot guarantee they will always do.
As a general rule, it makes good computing sense to upgrade your browser swiftly as new versions are released. These updates are free, and contain important security patches.
What’s in it for me?
By upgrading your browser, you will enjoy not only a faster, more beautiful fluxiom, but you will enjoy a safer, more up-to-date view of the entire web. Many sites have already switched and are serving simpler, less interesting pages to Internet Explorer 6. New browsers also come with great tools that make browsing safer and more convenient.
What is the exact date?
The transition will be progressive. We recommend that all users upgrade by October 1, 2009 but will update this post when support for Internet Explorer 6 is officially over. As always, we will keep an eye on statistics and ensure all of you are comfortable before we more full speed forwards.