France/Germany (and now Aussie Govt) call on users to abandon Internet Explorer

[Miaow]

hehe Microsoft won't like this

French Government calls on internet users to abandon Internet Explorer

Calls to ditch Internet Explorer after China hacks

[Kym]

AP officially recommend Firefox and suggest members avoid IE where possible.
Safari and Opera are good alternates.

IE 6 is a security hole - please upgrade to IE 7 or better still IE 8 if you do intend to continue with IE.

Jan 2010 AP usage Statistics...
Firefox 40.3 % (V3.5 31.9%)

MS Internet Explorer V8 28.5 %
MS Internet Explorer V7 11.9 %
MS Internet Explorer V6 3.5 % <<<<< THIS IS A HUGE WORRY !!

Safari 8.6 %
Google Chrome 4.6 % (Has been know to have issues on AP)
Opera 1 %

[Kym]

Oh... some reasons why Firefox (or Opera or Safari) are more secure than IE...

http://www.io.com/~cwagner/spyware/appendix.html (Old but the principals are valid)

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-reaso...rnet-explorer/

http://www.itworld.com/security/9304...t-explorer-now

[Scotty72]

I tried Firefox (still do sometimes).

But, it still has lot of issues of compatability with a number of websites.

Am tyoing on IE8 now.

Scotty

[Clubmanmc]

Opera 1 %

I am that 1 % as i use Opera Mini on my E71 Nokia phone... and it works a treat!! easy to read and easy to keep in contact even on the go... sadly i use IE 7 at work as we are not allowed to ditch it...



M

[Kym]

I tried Firefox (still do sometimes).
But, it still has lot of issues of compatibility with a number of websites.

Which is because some web sites are programmed to the NON STANDARD M$ ONLY way of doing thing rather than following industry standards as do Firefox, Opera, Safari etc.
That is completely those web site providers and M$ fault.

FWIW: Most sites nowadays handle non M$ browsers properly. There are very few sites that are IE only. In part this is due to the fact that IE 8 has moved closer to proper standards support.

Edit: For AP work I develop and test with Firefox; then IE only once I'm ready to deploy. IE is the 'after thought'.

[ving]

I am that 1 % as i use Opera Mini on my E71 Nokia phone... and it works a treat!! easy to read and easy to keep in contact even on the go... sadly i use IE 7 at work as we are not allowed to ditch it...



M

+1

also opera user.... i even DL it and installed it at work hope they dont mind

[jim]

We actually have a few Opera users, and at least one is quite fanatical about it. Naming no names.

It used to really give me the shits when a web site you had to use—eg a financial institution—wouldn't work in a proper browser, and their "help" staff would tell you "Oh, we only support IE" Happens less nowadays thank heaven.

[Speedway]

The only problems I have with firefox are on banking sites. For this I am forced to use IE.
Keith.

[ricktas]

The only problems I have with firefox are on banking sites. For this I am forced to use IE.
Keith.

Thank banking issue is caused by a firefox add-on, not firefox itself. It is caused by the AVG safe search add-on. In firefox, click in tools, add-ons and disable the AVG safe search, then try again on your banking site.

[Miaow]

Kevin - I found Firefox and secure sites plays up with the AVG safe search plugin - if you have AVG disable the AVG Safe Search add-on in firefox and the banking runs WAY faster ans does any secure site

Edited to add: Notice Rick beat me to it as I was posting

[ving]

The only problems I have with firefox are on banking sites. For this I am forced to use IE.
Keith.

opera 10.10 works fine with banking sites

[Tannin]

Firefox ... still has lot of issues of compatability with a number of websites.

This is just wrong.

Saying "Firefox has compatibility issues with websites" is like saying "My speelchecker iz brroken bcoz eet hs poot rede uinderlines unda thees whole sentense".

Firefox is highly compatible with the international standard that govern web design. Firefox doesn't have compatibility issues, the site has problems if it doesn't work with a standards-compliant browser like Firefox. If you find a broken site, tell the webmaster to lift his game. This isn't 1997 anymore.

[ving]

This is just wrong.

Saying "Firefox has compatibility issues with websites" is like saying "My speelchecker iz brroken bcoz eet hs poot rede uinderlines unda thees whole sentense".

Firefox is highly compatible with the international standard that govern web design. Firefox doesn't have compatibility issues, the site has problems if it doesn't work with a standards-compliant browser like Firefox. If you find a broken site, tell the webmaster to lift his game. This isn't 1997 anymore.

+1


(ps, when did we start doing this "+1" thing anyhow?)

[Tannin]

Oh, I forgot to say: anyone still using Internet Explorer after all these years and all those warnings, and those millions upon millions of computers brought down through IE exploits ... anyone that determined to do themselves harm deserves what they get.

Right now there is a fair size pile of infected machines sitting in my workshop awaiting disinfection and cleanup. There are always a few, sometimes more, sometimes less. This week, there are more than usual, and I'm going to have to put in a lot of extra hours over the next couple of days to get them all done.

On the one hand, this makes me frustrated because I know perfectly well that close to 50% of the infections are caused by Internet Explorer's security vulnerabilities, and there is hours and hours of extra work I'll have to do to repair them all. If the owners had even the inkling of a clue, they would have used Opera or Firefox and I wouldn't have to fix their computers.I'm tired and don't want to do all that overtime!

On the other hand, I'll be well paid for my time and I'm thinking about a 1D IV so the extra cash will come in handy.

But think about it: if those idiots had enough sense to do what the security experts have been advising them to do for year after year after year, they wouldn't be without their computers right now, I would be getting home at a reasonable hour, and my 1D IV would be some hundreds of dollars further away.

So here is the deal, all you die-hard Internet Explorer users. Why don't you all move up here to Ballarat and I'll keep your systems running for you. It will mean even longer hours for me, but at $6500 for a Mark IV, I need all the virus removal jobs I can get, and as long as people run Internet Explorer, I will never run out of work.

[I @ M]

If you find a broken site, tell the webmaster to lift his game. This isn't 1997 anymore.

I did exactly that with the trading post some time ago when their site wouldn't display "further details" in firefox.
The email I received in response went along the lines of " sorry but we designed our site for the browser that the majority use -- IE".
Oh well, I guess it is pretty good business practice to ignore 40% of the market place, but then again, the trading post is owned by tel$tra -----------

[Kym]

+1
(ps, when did we start doing this "+1" thing anyhow?)

Indicating one more who agrees / votes for this. meh!

[Kym]

The Trading post now works with Firefox - they obviously came into the 21st century.

[Tannin]

Owned by Telstra? Good grief. How did the gutless, toothless ACCC ever let that one get through? That is an absolute disgrace.

[Kym]

Owned by Telstra? Good grief. How did the gutless, toothless ACCC ever let that one get through? That is an absolute disgrace.

Yup! And the ditched the paper publication. Its now a crappy eBay knock off.