that's a bomb... and a good one!

Reads a little like an old article from the last browser wars with replaced product names and versions... those "boycott" ideas seem to live forever.

hasn't worked last century, won't work this.

Holy craparonies!

Paul Thurrott? Paul Thurrott of "Paul Thurrot's Supersite for Windows?!?

One of the most well-known supporters of Microsoft's platform, openly encouraging a boycott of IE?

I think this truly shows that things are moving, for web standards. The guy never seemed like an MS loony to me, his albeit suggective pov still anchored somewhat in reality.

His stance is perfectly logical, it just took a bit of time for him to reach it. Standards are a healthy thing for this industry, it's simply coprorations in the vein of Microsoft who opposes them.

Welcome back to reality Paul.

He must have finally really tried Mac. Now he's a drooling MS-hating fanatic, like the rest of us. :)

Just a hunch...I think this has more to do with browsers than operating systems....

Well, surely this article, but I meant the whole recent change of winds Thurrott has had.

I saw signs of this in his Windows Longhorn build 5048 review, where he called the project having the signs of a shipwreck. But I surely didn't see this coming, and it's not April 1st. :-)

He also made a recent critical review of Windows Vista Beta 1 where he both praise features, but also criticizes some parts. He's not really like the guy I recall from some years back making Windows XP reviews etc. Maybe MS has stopped paying him. :-)

Micro$oft is horrible... Make the switch!

Yep. safety and standards-compliance is a must..

Yes, please..

I use Safari as my default and only Firefox when I need better DOM/JS support. (Safari doesn't support DOMRange, among a few other things yet). But otherwise Safari is much faster and works great! Obviously if you're stuck on Windows then use Firefox. But you could always just switch and use Safari... :P

You're all fucking retards. Internet Explorer will not be replaced, whether you like it or not. Why don't you guys use Firefox, and not worry what other people are using.

And I bet you, 95% of the people who are saying "Micr0s0ft iz hte zux0r3z" is on a Microsoft Operating System.

Why don't you guys take your oversized heads out of your asses and let people have an personal preference.

Kekekeke,

I've recently switched to Linux, and Dvorak for that matter.

And I must say, I only regret not doing so sooner.

Software is better free.

but anyway

Although I have to have a second OS (winxp) so that i'm able to play Steam games at a normal standard...

But noones perfect.

Anyway, this boycott isnt to screw microsoft, its to challenge them to make their current software more compliant with standards and security. Its more to help than to hurt the public.

So really...In reality...This is more helping Microsoft better themselves.

If we should be trying to screw someone, its RIAA and the MPAA. Not only are they making it so that thier buisness is a guarantee, but they are trying to make a monopoly of it too.

@Shawn:

The notion that everyone here is a "retard" and that we all think IE should be replaced is backed up by very little evidence.

I'm sure the readers of this blog will agree that all we want is a level playing field, where competition is allowed and web users have a choice.

Firefox, Safari, Opera et al give users that choice.

Additionally, Shawn neglects to take into account the fact that not everyone who uses IE uses it because they want to use it. For many people, it's just what came with the computer and they have no interest in installing -- or trying to install -- anything else when they have something that works perfectly fine for what they do. (They don't know how much effort it takes to make websites that follow the specs work correctly in their browser of non-choice. All that work goes on behind the scenes.)

Does anyone know of a study which has tried to separate the "I just click on the blue E" camp from the "Of course I use Internet Explorer!" camp?

Windows will always be better than MAC for home use MAC sucks

While I certainly recommend that everyone switch AWAY from IE, for a variety of reasons, it seems disingenuous and counterproductive to push for a boycott at a time when MS is actually doing something serious about standards compliance. Something like this may have been appropriate when IE5 or IE6 was launched, but now?

Everyone stop using IE and Lets get BILL!

I'd be surprised if this hasn't been taken as an insult by various managers within MS.

And don't forget that US-CERT advised people not to use IE a year ago.

Anyway, MS let IE bitrot for too long, and what they're doing now may end up as "too little, too late".

Here's an idea: Stick a TOO COOL FOR IE badge on your website!

It would be nice if all browsers were standards compliant so when doing web design work you wouldn't have to switch back and forth between browsers just to see how a page is working.

And when the reigning king (IE) shows something other than what the underdog shows, what are you to do but design for what most people use, which just perpetuates the problem.

I'm sorry to say that Paul is description of Acid 2, especially its importance to things in the real world or to spec compliance, is wildly off. As a corollary, his analysis of Chris Wilson's blog entry is completely off base.

His conclusion may have merit, but the reasoning that got him there is either ignorant or malicious (that last distinction depends on whether he believes what he wrote).

This is the way to do it. Microsoft does not react to anything else than massive loss of market share. Microsoft could not care less that their products are shoddy and outdated. As long as people buy and the money keeps rolling in, MS will not make any improvements. They did not secure Windows until many people complained and tech journalists recommended switching to Linux or Mac. They did not even think about an improved MSIE until Firefox began to eat into their market share. So, all the MSIE lovers out there who want a better MSIE 7 should switch to Firefox (or Opera) at least for a few month to put pressure on Microsoft.

OK, so how do you boycott IE when a) it comes shipped with Windows (and hence 95%+ of all new PCs) and can't be removed from the OS and b) it has to be used to run Windows Update? The *only* way you can 100% boycott IE is to actually boycott Windows itself and switch to another OS (which on the standard Intel PC platform actually means Linux - since you'd have to buy new hardware for Mac OS X, even when they move to Intel). Is that indeed what conclusion Paul Thurrott has finally come to after all these years of MS-fanboydom? :-)

Down with IE
Down with Firefox
Down with Windows
Down with Linux

Safari Rules
Mac OS X Rules

Everyone else - Die!

Richard: I think you're taking the term "boycott" a little too seriously. I'm sure we can all make exceptions for looking at your own website to test it, looking at your own hard drive, and running Windows/Microsoft Update.

Mac Fanboy: But if everyone else died, who would you taunt online?

There seems to be lots of angry IE fanboys making comments under his article... lol sweet.

"Why don't you guys use Firefox, and not worry what other people are using."

Heh. I guess you're a webmaster newbie/no-be. Let me explain: We want people to see our websites as they were meant to be seen.

Clear enough for you?

Well, the spineless &*%^%^ just published a retraction. Looks like uncle Bill has his hand up the sock puppet.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/47281/windowspaulthurrott_47281.html

Uh, did you read his article? He basically says, "I didn't mean to boycott IE7, I meant to boycott IE in general!" He then goes on to list everything that he thinks is wrong about Internet Explorer, focusing on the integration with the OS.

He does say that if you absolutely have to stick with IE, you should upgrade, but also recommends swtiching to something else if at all possible.

"I didn't mean to say that the Enterprise should be hauling garbage. I meant to say it should be hauled away as garbage."