Google to phase out support for IE6

BEIJING, February 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Google has announced it will soon no longer support Internet Explorer 6, joining others who have made it their mission to kill-off the 9 year old browser.

Google's move is only the latest in a year-long string of major Web properties dropping support for IE6 or urging users to replace it with a newer browser. The campaign began in February 2009, when Facebook prompted IE6 users to upgrade.

It then accelerated last summer when Google's YouTube did the same, as Digg announced it would curtail IE6 support and as a California site builder led nearly 40 Web start-ups to urge their users to dump the browser. Meanwhile, an "IE Must Die" petition on Twitter has accumulated more than 14,000 signatures.

Even Microsoft has attempted to encourage people to upgrade but admitted it is sometimes difficult to persuade companies and individuals because the old browser is still mandated by some enterprises. In particular, IE6 also accounts for half the browsers used in China, according to recent data from metrics company NetApplications.com. But as the Internet changes, computer users will eventually be forced to make the shift.

Last July a leading technology website described IE6 as "outdated" and suggested users would find themselves unable to use the Internet properly if they did not upgrade.

Mashable, a website that draws over 5 million readers every month, said that with the release of HTML 5 (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) many IE6 users may find themselves unable to use the web.

HTML is the language of the web, and HTML 5 will provide greater functionality. But while old browsers may still work with websites written in HTML 5, they will not obtain the best experience or functionality. With more companies dropping support for IE6 many users may be left out in the cold.

It is estimated that between 15 and 25 percent of Internet users browse the web with IE6, partly because it is the browser that came with the most used operating system Windows XP. But many individuals and companies have simply failed to upgrade. Digg, a social news website made for people to discover and share content from the Internet, suggests that more than 70 percent of those using IE6 were forced to do so by their company.

The failure of companies to adapt is shortsighted, according to Shane Richmond, who writes for the Daily Telegraph's technology column. In an article he wrote last year he said, "Any IT manager who forces his company to run IE6 in 2009 is dangerously incompetent and should probably not be in charge of anything more complicated than buying biscuits."