THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA

I had to look at what version of IE I had installed.  I have 6 but I never use it.  I started using Firefox and just haven't felt the need to change back to IE.

"I have 6 but I never use it."

You know, I get the same excuse from some consumers that have P2P software installed that includes known spyware and adware.  It doesn't matter though.  It can allow programs to do damage the moment it's installed.

The vast majority of the time the same vulnerabilities that impact 6, also impact IE 7.  Web developers hate both browsers.

A far better use of time would be to have people use user accounts instead of admin.  If people should use a browser, I heartily recommend firefox + noscript.  Or Opera, which has far fewer vulnerabilities reported than both.

- No patch for firefox or Opera has ever required people to reboot their machines.  

- The default state of internet browsing should be NO scripting.

He doesn't understand your point either.  He wrote this on the FAQ section:

"But if for some reason you refuse to upgrade Internet Explorer I strongly urge you to stop using this browser all together and switch to a newer and safer alternative like Firefox or Opera."

Does that mean you recomend upgrading the browser on the server even though we don't surf from the server?

Web developers still haven't got their sites working properly with  IE7, so why would you ditch a version of IE that behaves correctly with a large number of sites for a version that doesn't? Worse, for a version that isn't released yet? Granted, both IE7 and IE8 have better security models, but the primary reason you select and use a browser is because it's usable. I run both IE and Firefox for the simple reason that I can get a better experience on some sites by using the other browser. I still have to run XP virtual machines just so I can get to the IE7-deficient sites.

Anyhow, Microsoft have committed to providing support for IE6 for at least another year if you go by their supported service pack lifecycle for XP. Yes, it should die, but only once there's a released and supported version capable of of replacing it in terms of usability.

"Does that mean you recomend upgrading the browser on the server even though we don't surf from the server?"

Yup.  IE6 on a server still increases the potential for worms that infect systems through holes in the underlying HTML engine.  Having it up to date means you close those holes.

Come to think of it Quickbooks Online does not work right in Firefox for me so I guess I do use IE6 more than I think.  

The sites are invariably Intranet sites installed with a software package, or sites designed by SMBs that don't regularly or widely test their site design with other browser versions or variants.

One's even a banking site. Urk.