I’m not much different than most designers and developers, I loath Internet Explorer. But I understand why they are slow to embrace change, specifically standards.
Microsoft is a gargantuan, lumbering, 800 pound gorilla. They can’t move very fast, so they are slow and considerate of decisions they make.
For example if they commit to an implementation of CSS3 in IE 8.5, and the standards change right after their release, Microsoft couldn’t steer the ship fast enough to hit the new target. So they wait, and wait until the dust settles on changes before they invest in the development commitment.
Luckily for everyone there are faster, more nimble browser companies that are willing to prepare early and provide early adoption for emerging standards. Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, Opera, and konqueror are all taking risks and investing in the emerging standards. It’s a riskier approach, but the entire industry benefits from this prototype development process. The designers and developers experiment with the tools. Resulting in feedback for their peers, the browser makers, and the standards groups. It’s a cyclical loop evolving the industry.
The wait and see attitude of Microsoft os fiscally conservative and only benefits their bottom line… Maybe. It has driven a lot of customers away, and created animosity within the web development community. I don’t think a single developer or designer would shed a tear if Internet Explorer dropped stone cold dead. I would venture to say there might be large contingent that would throw a party in celebration.
I say let’s help speed up the process of evolution, and extinction. Use modern browsers. Implement CSS3, and HTML5. Support standards and follow them in your personal work and client projects. Participate in the process and dialog. We can all work together to make our lives easier.
Enough said.