Browser Support Change: Dropping IE

Posted November 21, 2015, 3:52 p.m.

Off on a Tangent has long supported the most recent versions of the major desktop and mobile web browsers. By policy, this support extends to the most recent two versions of desktop browsers, and the most recent one version of tablet and mobile browsers.

With the launch of Microsoft Windows 10 on the desktop in July, I initiated support for Microsoft Edge, the new default browser for Windows. For simplicity’s sake, I am treating Edge as a new version of the now-discontinued Internet Explorer (IE) browser. So, since July, I have officially supported IE 11 and the initial version of Edge as the most recent two Microsoft browsers on the desktop. On mobile, I supported IE Mobile on Windows Phone 8.1 as the single most recent mobile version.

In the last week or so, something momentous happened. Microsoft released a major update of Windows 10 on November 12, paired with an updated version of Edge. Under the ‘last two versions’ rule, I then dropped IE 11 support. And then Microsoft released Windows 10 Mobile on November 20, paired with its new Edge mobile browser. Under the ‘last one version’ rule for mobile devices, I dropped support for Windows Phone 8.1’s IE.

In other words, Off on a Tangent, for the first time in its history, does not officially support any version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. And although IE 9, 10, and 11 weren’t too bad, I still hold enough web-developer hatred for earlier versions—especially 6—that I’ll still say: GOOD RIDDANCE.

This does not mean it will stop working . . . it only means that I won’t actively test the site in IE or spend much time (if any) fixing bugs that only affect IE users. If you’re still using IE, I recommend that you switch to something else.

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.

Quotes

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There is no conflict between science and religion.