What is with all this "forced" using of only certain browsers on websites?

[dixiegrrrrl]

There are websites which only use Windows Explorer or the latest version of Firefox ( which 10. something) and you are out of luck if you use any other browser.
Audible.com is apparently one of the sites, tho, strangely, it is owned by Amazon and Amazon works fine with
my FF 3.6.
I just tried to redeem a Christmas present, a gift certificate, on Audible and the site will not respond to my FF 3.6.
The Help desk people ( in the Caribbean, btw) confirmed and tried VERY hard to get me to download Explorer.
They suggested Google Chrome "might" work, but not Opera, not anything but the latest version of FF.

I REALLY hate being pushed into limited choices of browsers, esp hate the hold that Explorer has on the internet.
It's not like the websites CAN'T allow other browsers to work.


Sheesh....complain....piss and moan.

[ElboRuum]

1. The amount of effort...

...required to get web pages to look good/work properly in all browsers can be the bulk of the development time if you are committed to more than just the three top browsers. Some developers just don't see that as time well spent.

Why not just get the latest Firefox?

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I have read too many bug reports on Ff 10 so far, waiting till it runs better.

[DissedByBush]

3. The cause depends

It could be they're lazy and use a plugin only available on one browser or operating system (usually IE).

It could be they're lazy and used a development tool that only produces code that works well on one browser (also usually IE).

Or it could be an advanced site using the latest standardized web technologies, and some browsers just aren't up to snuff. This often excludes IE from the compatibility list.

BTW, IE doesn't have much of a hold anymore overall. IE is down to 35-50%, followed by Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Chrome, Firefox and Safari are still rising (especially with Safari on the iDevices), and IE is still slipping.

[sylveste]

4. why not just

download explorer? then you have it, you don't have to use it all the time but it migh come handy in cases like this.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. We run Linux.

[Jazzgirl]

6. Firefox 9 is the current version.

Not sure about Linux but I'm pretty sure 10 isn't out for that. 9 works fine with Windows. I don't know what kind of plug-ins are available for Firefox for Linux but the site didn't like my Firefox 9.0.1. I switched to IETab (in Firefox) and the page rendered just fine. See if you can use IETab in Linux. Go to the add-ons page at Mozilla and check it out.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. wil check that out, thanks.

[toddaa]

15. I'm on Arch Linux running bleeding edge everything. FF 9 works fine

I prefer lighter weight browsers like Midori or Uzbl, but use FF when websites bitch.

[Syrinx]

8. I don't know, but the mozilla/firefox people are making a mockery of release conventions

The free software movement seems to be having a nervous breakdown.

[HopeHoops]

9. I've tested a lot of CSS files on multiple browsers...

... including IE (multiple versions), Firefox, Opera, and Safari. IE is the only one that's a pain in the ass to deal with. If it works on any of the others, it works on the rest - except IE. There are a few hoops to jump through to get things functional for IE, but that's to deal with incompatibilities with the standard (gee, can't IMAGINE M$ being incompatible with standards ). If M$ would get their shit together and bring IE up to speed, it really wouldn't matter (other than the IE security holes).

"Piss and moan" is the appropriate feeling to have about this. I've been forced to use IE on some sites as well but not recently. There's nothing about them that can't be done just as easily and be compatible with every other browser. Some developers are just perpetually drunk on M$ Kool-Aid. The same can be said of MAC and Linux geeks, and I knew the Amiga inside out before Commodore shit the bed, but the goal should always be adherence to the universally (minus IE) implemented standards so a site will work with any browser on any platform. That's not always easy to do, but it should be the goal.

In the early-mid 80's, it was common to hear a manager say that no PC could be purchased unless it was IBM compatible. IBM doesn't even make PCs anymore - Lenovo makes them for IBM now. I can see M$ going down the same path in the long run - focusing more on their applications and cloud business than the OS. I've used Open Office (previously Star Office) for years and frankly it is better at opening older M$ Word files than the current version of M$ Word. I think they gave up on IE years ago and have just been trying to give the impression that they're interested in keeping it current. I'm still on Firefox 3.6 (haven't bothered to upgrade) and I seldom have any issues with sites - many of which are financial institutions.



Note: On DU, you have to use a space to avoid a straight smiley - that's why there's one between the smiley and the closing " ) ".

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. My options just got limited again..the Windows machine died this morning.

I am not crying.
We switched over to Linux and I use FF and Opera. Had kept some stuff on the Windows "just in case".
Machine is new dead, Mr. Dixie is doing the autopsy.

Just updated the Opera browser on my Linux.
Still reading about any problems with Ff 9 before I update.
Meanwhile, the website that won't play nice with either of my browsers is not one I need to visit, so all's well, etc.

[HopeHoops]

11. "autopsy" - DAMN! I started calling it that 30 years ago!

That's EXACTLY what it is - "okay, what died and what organs are still good for donation?"

I've still got hard drives in the basement (still good) in MB sizes and about a dozen or more cases (mostly for the power supplies) and almost as many CRT-based monitors. I use all laptops and LCD screens for the day-to-day machines, but the older boxes still work and I can always drag up a monitor. I'm going to donate some of the better ones along with whatever machines I can get to run with Linux (eventually). I've still got 30 pin memory cards in some of them (and one that takes both 30 and 72 pin). Again, in MBs. (sigh)

The old boxes are also good for getting at 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" disks. I have a USB floppy drive and a USB ZIP drive, so that makes life easier when trying to access the archives. "And now, another episode of ARE YOU A GEEK?" (another sigh)

(The computer museum that is my basement contains far more than I've listed)

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. Sadly, Mr. D 's "basement" is his small den.

Very small den.
He needs a whole huge room so he can spread out with his " computer stuff I might need someday"
and I cannot complain since he has kept our puters going for years now without spending much $$$.

Update: ole Winders is STILL working, turns out it was the monitor that "broke".
I have to go over to the machine and make sure I have left nothing there I might need in future,
before I turn it over to Mr. D. for parts or whatever.

LOVE Linux...so intuitive.

[HopeHoops]

14. Okay - He sounds like a beer buddy to me!!! I call my computer room...

..."my man cave".

I'm sitting next to two laser printers, a multi-function color printer, a powerhouse desktop with both a 27" and a 19" monitor, and typing on my 17" laptop. Oh, and there are two Win98SE towers behind me that aren't currently plugged in. I've got four UPS devices on the floor just for this room and probably ten or more elsewhere in the house. I don't worry too much about power failures.

Geeks are geeks - don't bother trying to change us.

[hobbit709]

12. Works fine with my Mozilla SeaMonkey 2.10

[TreasonousBastard]

16. I feel your pain. Having Opera as my primary browser for years has given me agida...

when a site doesn't work. I hate having to open Chrome or IE when I click on a link and nothing happens, and I've given up on Firefox several versions ago when it got too bloated.

And it's not going to get any better-- we keep getting new "standards" that allow web developers to do amazing things at the cost of massive downloads and spaghetti code that browsers just can't keep up with. I've looked at the source code of some pages and was shocked at the number of frames, pages and pages of Java code, and calls to plugins so they could make me watch a 30Mb movie before I could simply get the one paragraph of text info I wanted. All of this has to be parsed by the browser, which might have its own bugs, and the guy writing this bullshit code has no time to check it on every version of every browser. So, of course, it's our fault when things don't work.

Some of it has to do with security. At work we use Lotus Notes for email and the security guys spent a lot of time making it secure on our home computers. It yells at me when I open it with Opera, but at least it works, although in a very limited way.

What marvels does the latest FF uncloak that previous versions don't? And is this necessary just to buy something?

Anyway, v3.6 is pretty old and there are security updates and some newer things now that are worthwhile. Might as well give in and get the new one, at least for occasional use.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. FF is my primary browser, but I find I am heading towards Opera more and more during the day.

I like Opera's built in ad blocker.

Really scared that when I update FF it will eat all my bookmarks.

[Yavapai]

18. I installed firefox 10 beta

and it kept all my bookmarks.

The only problem I have seen is when I use the game site "Pogo" and a few of their games have not been updated to use FF 10 yet and will not run. I just use IE for these games. That is the only bug found so far in two months of use.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. ty for thathelpful info.

I updated Ubuntu and it ate a folder of email addresses.
Curses.
so am cautious about updating, and have been too lazy to read up on FF 9 complaints.

[panzerfaust]

20. Many of the sites I have encountered which force IE use are ...

... run by one level of government or another.

For example, my (state) university sites for online email, remote access to schedules, or even access via VPN all force the use of IE - though most can be accessed from FF using "Load as IE."

Only when absolutely forced will I use IE. FF is starting to go into the same category with its frenetic update schedule and memory problems. My current two favorites are K-Mellon and Chrome.