Waterfall Web

There has been quite a lot said recently about Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). Should it default to “standards mode”? Or default to “IE7 mode”?

But Joel on Software has put things into perspective: Neither side is right, and neither side is wrong. Because there is really no right answer here.

It’s a long read, but worthwhile if you’ve been following the debate. It also add some understanding as why Vista is so plagued. (And yes, I’m one of those who has gone back to Windows XP)

Before reading Joel’s article I didn’t really have an opinion on what IE8 should default to. At least now I can say that maybe having no opinion is the right one!

If things stay as they are, we may all have a lot of work to do – going back and fixing old sites. Grrr.

The saving grace in my case might be the use of very specific stylesheets for Internet Explorer. We have used a conditional comment to call a stylesheet for IE6, another one for IE7, so IE8 shouldn’t read either of these – and just worry about the main stylesheet designed for Firefox etc.

I hope. I’ll have to check…

Announced recently was the end of the production line for Netscape Navigator. I haven’t used it in years, but I do remember how much better Netscape 3 was than IE3.

Netscape probably started it’s decline when IE4 was released - a far superior browser at the time. Netscape never really recovered, nor reinvented themselves to create a case to change back. And it’s probably fair to say that Firefox helped to make Netscape obsolete as well.

Like sands through the hourglass…

Many years ago the Web Standards Project (or WASP) fought the fine fight to pressure browser manufacturers into complying with some sort of standard version of HTML. Prior to that we almost had to build separate sites for Netscape and Internet Explorer – it was horrible.

We have come so far with browsers, but unfortunately most email clients are, well, a long way behind. If you have ever tested an HTML email in a few different clients you’ll know the frustration.
Yesterday’s launch of the Email Standards Project hopes to remedy this situation. Some people love it, some hate it, but HTML email is here to stay. And if we could have the proper standards support in email clients then it’s probably fair to say that a lot of those opposed would change their mind.

We have a long way to go, but at least now we have a vehicle!