Dear Internet Explorer:
It's over. Our relationship just hasn't been working for a while, and now, this is it. I'm leaving you for another browser.
I know this isn't a good time -- you're down with yet another virus. I do hope you feel better soon -- really, I do -- but I, too, have to move on with my life. Fact is, in the entire time I've known you, you seem to always have a virus or an occasional worm. You should really see a doctor.
That said, I just can't continue with this relationship any longer. I know you say you'll fix things, that next time it'll go better -- but that's what you said the last time -- and the time before that. Each time I believed you.
Well, not any longer.
You cheater!
The truth is there's nothing more you can say to make things better. I know about your secret marriage to Windows. You say you two are not seeing each other anymore, but I just don't believe it. You say you can live without Windows, and I've heard that Windows can live without you, but I know that's simply not true.
What about HTML email in Outlook? Every time there's a new letter in the Inbox, you rush over to help Windows render it. And what about HTML within Word? There you go again. And don't get me started with those late nights you've spent rendering thumbnail images in Windows Explorer. You're all over Windows and, what, you just expect me to turn a blind eye?
You're no longer fit
For another thing, you've gone and gotten all lazy and out of shape on me. When was the last time you picked up a new feature? Two years ago? Three? While you rest on your laurels, while you spend your days slapping patches on the various flaws that seem to pour out as though your source code were a colander, the Internet has changed. A lot.
Last Christmas, I gave you a free RSS reader, Pluck, and you seemed to like it, with new feeds popping up from time to time keeping you fun and relevant. It gave me reason to think maybe you and I could work things out. But, in the end, it just wasn't a true fit; it wasn't really a part of you.
When I mentioned wanting to view more than one Web page at a time, you just laughed, said it couldn't be done. Well, I knew that wasn't true. Opera, Netscape, and now Firefox, they can all do it. You simply don't want to discuss change.
And when you do, it's only because of someone else. A certain someone else: Windows. Don't deny it. You didn't think twice when Windows XP SP2 offered you its shiny new pop-up blocker. Or gave you new firewall protection. I know Windows has promised to block buffer overflows, too -- but I'll believe it when I see it.
Yet what have you done for me lately? I don't want to keep upgrading my operating system just to keep you around. Talk about baggage.
This is it
I know, I've tried breaking up before, and I've always come back, but that's because I couldn't find the right browser to move on with. I want an independent browser, one that stands on its own without a co-dependent operating system. What I want is a browser that's strong and secure, one that handles the latest content and won't crash. I want transparency. I want code that actually means something.
I have found just that.
With Mozilla Firefox, at least I know where I stand. The code is open source, built from the ground up, clean -- not recycled. No more hidden agendas. At least when there's a flaw in Firefox, this browser alerts me on its toolbar. It doesn't try to hide its mistakes, waiting until the second Tuesday of the month to offer me a patch for some flaw that's been out there for six months already.
I can take my Firefox to my Mac and Linux friends, and everyone gets along just fine. You barely even talk to Macs anymore, and you always seem to walk out of the room whenever Linux stops by. Why? What are you afraid of? Honestly, a grown browser like you afraid of a little operating system? I think this snobby behaviour speaks volumes about what's wrong with this relationship.
So this is it: Good-bye. I know you'll do fine without me; you always have. I'm sure there'll be someone who'll find you to be cute and interesting. It just won't be me.
Sometimes, breaking up can be easy. Care to write your own break-up letter to IE? Talk back to me.
Talkback
Brilliant.
I recently moved over to Firefox and love it. Some websites still need to fix their coding though.
Will move to Thunderbird shortly as well and may even use an open source office package as well.
Adam
www.youcangetit.co.uk/forum
Dear Safari, FireFox,
I need your help with IE. As you know I was forced into IE because of IE's support, but it's getting worse. I keep trying to escape but because of IE's support I'm forced back, time after time. I want out. I've been frozen by IE, I've crashed with IE and yes I'm unable to converse with other browsers like you. You know this was a forced arrangement with IE that I had no say in. If it wasn't for IE's support I would be free just like you, yet I'm not allowed to think for myself. I have to think and do whatever IE says. When I've tried seeing you it's hard because IE has a lot of friends who think just like IE. This has to stop. Please help me so I to can have a choice.
Thankfully, abused Mac.
Brilliant!
You've said it all.
Now if we can just get the rest of the world to listen . .
Dear Internet Explorer,
Get with the times, like Firefox. Also you have many viruses and problems, and you always say you are going to fix it, but i always hear about more problems.
I dont have time to deal with this crap. Ninjas need better eqipment and youre not on the list.
Wont be missing you,
Ninja
I've had a rough life with IE. I've had nothing much arguments with it, from time to time. It seems at tho our relationship was breaking apart from the beginning.
A while ago, I got introduced to another browser, by a good friend of mine at work. It has similar interests to mine, and we locked in a double-cllick.
My new relatioship is much better than before. I love my new broswer.
never seen a pop-up since i changed over,,,
Welcome to the club. I've been using Firefox since the first beta of Pheonix hit the ground. It was such a breath of fresh air. The only thing I've used IE for since the introduction of Firefox (in all its various names) is to get my Windows updates and internal Windows stuff which IE won't let go of.
Saying that, I've changed my main desktop in that time as well, but the browsing experience has remained the same. It feels horrible when I am visiting clients and have to use their machines which only have IE, it feels alien, wrong. Just those insignificant little things like "open link in new tab" missing from the menus or all those pop-ups
IE has put on weight over the years, when compared to its rivals. These days, it has nothing but security problems to show for the bulging waistline. I gave it the benefit of the doubt at first, I thought maybe it was pregnant and would give birth to something wonderful and new, now I realise it was just pigging out on rotten crisps and mouldy candy which has just blown her up like a balloon and made her sick :-(
I think that as soon as we web developers start sticking to standards as defined by the W3, and NOT designing for IE but for the standard, and direct people to browsers that improve our viewers' experience, Like Firefox among others, IE will start to crumble. I dearly hope Firefox is the "tipping point" to bring standards BACK to web development.
In a few years time people who've grown up on Firefox may be shown IE and they may be something like this;
"Where's the new tab button?"
"Where did that advert come from?"
"Virus?"
Excellent article! Hopefully this positive media attention firefox is getting as of lately will spark a greater interest in Internet Explorer users and make them switch. It is time to take back the web and continue on with the development of technology without depending on broken monopolistic 1998 technology like IE.
I switched to Firefox about 2 weeks ago and i love it, if only for the tabbed browsing. I dont want 10 windows open at one time, clogging up my taskbar! At least i can have it all in one window. In my opinion, Firefox does all the same things as Internet Explorer, but doing it better than IE and also has more features. All i have to say to people, is switch to Firefox. It's only 4.7MB big! tiny compared to IE. I have the internet explorer files on a disk somewhere, and i think that totalled 50MB+. For someone on a dail-up (like me) you just cant be bothered with 50MB. Even if you download the Sun Java install for fire fox and Macromedia Flash Player 7, it only comes up to 20.2MB. I've only been into computers for 3 years, but i already know what is worth getting for computers and whats not, and all im going to say, is not to bother with IE. Firefox is the future, and you know it.
I couldnt agree with you more. MIcrosofts Senior IT manager says his browser is no less secure then others, then why does it consistently lead to the blue screen of death? Why is it the reason peoples hardware just stops working? Why is it the only "software" that can damage your "hardware" . Mr. Microsoft needs a bit of a reality check, and perhaps a new computer, that doesnt lie to him.
same here IE / I have entirely removed you from XP and hey gues what XP runs even better without you
even after all those so called scare tactics looming
all over the net / what a load of bull cackle /and no matter what you say you have done and no matter what guise of GUI you surround yourself in / you are forever gone from my system !
nothing but the thruth. I had a lot of problems with IE, and much more with OUTLOOK EXPRESS.
Brilliant! Absofu**inlutely brilliant! I had heard about the Mozilla thing and was reluctant to try it, but not any more! Thanks!
I agree. Microsoft code is notoriously buggy as anyone who has developed code using VB will testify.