From my experience as a front end developer, up to 30-40% of time developing a front end web application interface can be spent debugging and fixing issues in IE6. Other developers (for example the web designers wall) have quoted up to as much as 80% of project time can be attributed to IE6!
When you consider that a client is probably paying for the time a developer works on a project, the false economy becomes more apparent. In essence, would you pay up to 30-40% more to provide for a market share of approximately 20% (according to w3schools usage statistics).
There are a number of reasons that are cited for continuing support for IE6, of which some are absolutely valid (and in some cases unquestionable). Many corporate employees are stuck with the product until their IT department upgrade across the board (and insufficient permissions to install an alternative browser). Some legacy web applications were designed for and only work with IE6, and therefore IE7 is not an option. A final and probably invalid argument is that to upgrade to IE7 the copy of Windows being used must be genuine, which might not be the case for a number of people (this is unconfirmed, so please correct me if I’m wrong).
If you think about it, the arguments for dropping support might be considered more compelling than the reasons to continue support. Improved functionality, reduced design and build time whilst having the ability to notify uneducated users about their out of date browser? Do you think a client would spend the extra and specifically request IE6 support if they knew the numbers?
What has been surprising a number of people is the sudden onset of large companies or applications dropping IE6 support in favour of improved functionality. Apple’s MobileMe, Facebook and 37Signals, to name just a few. Here is their messaging:
Apple’s Mobile Me: “To use the new web applications, make sure you have one of these browsers: Safari 3, Internet Explorer 7, or Firefox 2 or later.”
Facebook: “Facebook will work better for you if you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 or switch to another browser.”
37Signals: “On October 1, 2008 we will begin phasing out support for Internet Explorer 6 across all 37signals products. In order to continue using the products without any hiccups, Internet Explorer 6 users should upgrade to a newer browser.”
Since there will always be people using IE6 for a long time to come, I think there are two ways to approach future projects where IE6 support is not absolutely essential.
Know your users
Most websites already have user information available through their tracking software. Have a look at the user statistics and if only 2% of your users use IE6, then don’t support it. If it is 30% then you may have to bite your lip and pay for that extra development time – understanding the problems with reduced functionality and possible rendering issues.
Use code that degrades gracefully
Develop properly and everything should fall into place. The design will not become unusable, the functionality may be diminished but not gone, and the end user shouldn’t know the difference. I consider it absolutely fine for a product to look slightly different in IE6 compared to other browsers – it is very unlikely that an end user will compare the display in numerous browsers. As long as the product is usable by the ~20% of IE6 users, the majority will still get all the bells and whistles you planned for your application.
A final feature you could implement, when differences in IE6 rendering or functionality is obvious to a user, is to advise users their browser is out of date and you can offer them the alternative or upgrade links. A quick and easy way to do this is available here.
Matt
Senior Web Author
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