Firsly, I cant believe I'm actually having to write this post...IE7 has been available since 2006, IE6 came on the go in 2001...that's a LONG time ago in todays online world and IE8 is already available as a beta download so we can only assume that it'll be here prety soon....oh and the browser is free in case you were wondering.

So, why do I care which browser you are using? well, by trade I'm a web developer which basically means that I know a bit about how web browsers are rendering the websites that I and countless thousands of other competent web developers build for you.

Today for the umpteenth (sorry, had to get that word in!) time, I hit the "doesn't look right in IE6" problem which follows us developers around like a rancid, soggy, beast from the swamp. Thats right, all web browsers display websites with their own little quirks. IE6 on the other hand doesn't believe in "little quirks" oh no, IE6 is too dumb for that, IE6 displays sites in a deformed, mutant from hell manner. In all honesty, it's not really IE6's fault, it was built to do a job many years ago and just isn't suited to the advances in technology that have happened since.

The way us develpers get around the IE6 problem (in case you were wondering) is by conditionaly serving up slightly less clever solutions, or even implimenting hacks in the code so that "stoopid IE6" can fathom that yes...users may actually want to view the lovingly created website, built to be a thing of beauty, that it's having to bother to render, while back in the studios the world over are countless developers ranting about how they hate "bloody IE6". Dont believe me? check this out, and this, and this...oh...and this too...i could go on and on but developers already know this and hey..you have google, go check for yourself the opinions voiced on this browser the whole web over.

So, time for a little insight into the solution to this problem...its called the web standards project and it exists to bring some kind of synergy between what should and shouldn't be supported by all the various browser manufacturers out there so that maybe one day, we'll have a level playing field for how websites are rendered...of course this will make the job of a developer like myself much less frustrating too. As browsers mature through versions they typically impliment more and more standards compliance as well as being tailored more for all of todays new website uses and also to increase security...yes...security...it's important! Microsoft by it's own admission states that IE7 is more secure and more capable than IE6 "Internet Explorer 7 isn't affected by the majority of vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer 6 and earlier", even if you don't care about the frustrations of poor overworked web developers, this should make you sit up and take note. This is what Microsoft themselves state as the reasons to upgrade.

So please, do yourselves and the whole developer community out there a massive favour and finally upgrade IE6 to the latest version, it's served it's purpose but is long overdue for the bin. You know it makes sense!

here's a link to go and download it right now