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Shutting out Internet Explorer?

XNine

XNine

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 7, 2005
3,154
0
Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
Does anyone have a script or anything that will tell a user, when trying to look at my site "This web page cannot be displayed using Internet Explorer. Try using a Browser that doesn't suck" or something to that effect?

IE is the only browser I want to make sure doesn't view my site.

Thanks,
Oni
 
Onizuka said:
Does anyone have a script or anything that will tell a user, when trying to look at my site "This web page cannot be displayed using Internet Explorer. Try using a Browser that doesn't suck" or something to that effect?

IE is the only browser I want to make sure doesn't view my site.

Thanks,
Oni
Click to expand...
[rant]
It can be done; however it's incredibly immature and extremely annoying, the creator to the MyTunes Redux program for iTunes thinks it's *hilarious* to stop IE users downloading his software. When your trying to help windows users to use it with a new PC it's extremely annoying as it's better than OurTunes and not java based (which guess what, thanks to Microsoft isn't installed in windows by default. :rolleyes: )

It doesn't help premote other browsers to use tactic's like this, it's hard enough persuading companies to support Firefox etc. properly, the reverse tactic doesn't achieve anything except irritating people.
Also many people don't have a choice about their web browser. At work or school you may be forced to use IE therefore stopping those users accessing your website.
[/rant]
 
Yeah, but...

Eraserhead said:
[rant]
It can be done; however it's incredibly immature and extremely annoying, the creator to the MyTunes Redux program for iTunes thinks it's *hilarious* to stop IE users downloading his software. When your trying to help windows users to use it with a new PC it's extremely annoying as it's better than OurTunes and not java based (which guess what, thanks to Microsoft isn't installed in windows by default. :rolleyes: )
[/rant]
Click to expand...

I understand your point, but it's also extremely annoying when IE is the ONLY browser available to view a website (please see sites such as gap.com).

Sure, it's a little petty, but TOO FRICKIN' BAD. If the small percentage of non-IE users want to cater to everyone BUT IE, more power to them.
 
appleretailguy said:
I understand your point, but it's also extremely annoying when IE is the ONLY browser available to view a website (please see sites such as gap.com).
Click to expand...
True, that is irritating especially as a Mac user with no option to use IE but they seem to be few and far between... generally a polite email does the trick. However gap.com doesn't seem to be an example. (this is it in Camino 1.0 with the user agent set to Firefox 1.5, Mac) It also seems to display just fine in Safari (no user agent adjustment there).
Picture 5.jpg
 
I'm not sure it works as I have not tried it, but it goes something like this:

Code: 
if (/Internet Explorer/i.test(navigator.appName)) 
{
    alert('IE suxs0rz!1one1! go away!');
    document.location = 'someotherpage.htm';
}

Update: Apparently it works, at least on IE 6.
 
appleretailguy said:
I understand your point, but it's also extremely annoying when IE is the ONLY browser available to view a website (please see sites such as gap.com).
Click to expand...

gap.com works in Safari for me. :confused:
 
floyde said:
I'm not sure it works as I have not tried it, but it goes something like this:

Code: 
if (/Internet Explorer/i.test(navigator.appName)) 
{
    alert('IE suxs0rz!1one1! go away!');
    document.location = 'someotherpage.htm';
}
Click to expand...

LOL@ the "suxs0rs!" Thanks for that!

Let me make myself clear, here. It's not out of spite just because IE is an MS program or anything. It's because so often I hear people griping that "this site doesn't render in IE." I also hate it when companies produce their sites and ecommerce/applications under IE.

IE is substandard. I don't like firefox, myself. I love Safari, but more people I know use Firefox (regardless of platform) or Opera.

I don't think it's petty. I also think that my site alone won't convince anyone to switch to another browser, but if millions of other people do it, maybe larger corporations will take the hint that IE isn't the end all-be all of browsers. As it stands now, IE is the least efficient and featureless (and security plagued) browser of them all.
 
appleretailguy said:
I understand your point, but it's also extremely annoying when IE is the ONLY browser available to view a website
Click to expand...
<rant>The worst example I've come across with this recently is developer.samsungmobile.com, which doesn't actually tell you that you need IE (it uses a pop up to tell you, but guess what? A lot of us who don't use IE have popup blockers). It allows you to register and attempt to login, but uses some funky, badly written IE-only javascript to actually log you in, so you're presented with a blank page if you're not on IE.

And that is supposed to be a techie-friendly site.

Edit: and you can't give them feedback to fix their site because you can only do that with IE!
</rant>

Anyway, as for this topic. Yes it's annoying. Don't do it.
 
Onizuka said:
Let me make myself clear, here. It's not out of spite just because IE is an MS program or anything. It's because so often I hear people griping that "this site doesn't render in IE." I also hate it when companies produce their sites and ecommerce/applications under IE.
Click to expand...

Why not have a pop-up that says "This site is not designed for use in IE. etc."

Then let the user decide.

We know that IE doesn't block pop-ups.
 
<rant>

Or developers/designers can actually learn how to write code, that works in IE and firefox and then not subject users to having these problems.

The real issue is that idiots with a acopy of kaaza or bittorrent download a copy of Dreamweaver/Photoshop/Frontpage and call themselves web designers and built junk that doesnt work.

Anyone whos been in the business for.....ohhhh..... ummm... 3 days knows how to build a site that will work wilth all browsers.

</rant>
 
D0ct0rteeth said:
<rant>

Or developers/designers can actually learn how to write code, that works in IE and firefox and then not subject users to having these problems.

The real issue is that idiots with a acopy of kaaza or bittorrent download a copy of Dreamweaver/Photoshop/Frontpage and call themselves web designers and built junk that doesnt work.

Anyone whos been in the business for.....ohhhh..... ummm... 3 days knows how to build a site that will work wilth all browsers.

</rant>
Click to expand...


Agreed, I do understand people's frustration with IE specific problems/issues the fact is at the end of the day it's your job (well mine at least) to make sure your work is compatible with what people are using.

Last month when I had to go and fix up my flash sites so they'd work in IE again was I happy about it? No, but I went ahead and spent the morning fixing them up.

Yes, it's tempting to ban IE users from your site out of spite, but it the business world it's not acceptable.
 
dornoforpyros said:
Agreed, I do understand people's frustration with IE specific problems/issues the fact is at the end of the day it's your job (well mine at least) to make sure your work is compatible with what people are using.

Last month when I had to go and fix up my flash sites so they'd work in IE again was I happy about it? No, but I went ahead and spent the morning fixing them up.

Yes, it's tempting to ban IE users from your site out of spite, but it the business world it's not acceptable.
Click to expand...


This isn't a business related site. It's a personal site devoted to me getting back into art and following the results and progress as I go.
 
Onizuka said:
I also think that my site alone won't convince anyone to switch to another browser, but if millions of other people do it, maybe larger corporations will take the hint that IE isn't the end all-be all of browsers. As it stands now, IE is the least efficient and featureless (and security plagued) browser of them all.
Click to expand...
Onyl problem is that it will only be effective if you are somebody the business NEEDS. Otherwise, it is no loss to them. If it is a personal site, emplyoees shouldn't be there. If it is a business site, they will find someone else. But, if you are specialized and they need you (or everybody in an industry does it), then you might be able to enact change.

While I like the idea of blocking IE users for fun, I think that blocking to promote change will be ineffective.
 
D0ct0rteeth said:
<rant>

Or developers/designers can actually learn how to write code, that works in IE and firefox and then not subject users to having these problems.

The real issue is that idiots with a acopy of kaaza or bittorrent download a copy of Dreamweaver/Photoshop/Frontpage and call themselves web designers and built junk that doesnt work.
</rant>
Click to expand...
[counter-rant]
I agree with the dreamweaver and frontpage part. But when you are a developer that has spent countless hours learning the proper way to use web standards such as XHTML, CSS and ECMA Script, and you try your perfectly valid markup (that works on ALL of the other browsers known to man) on that hideous excuse for browser and it simply refuses to render correctly... well, believe me, you'll be pissed, and rightfully so. And no, I'm not spending my time adding hacks that mess up my perfectly well structured code just to get my site to render on that thing.

The web exists today because of standards. How else would millons of computers connect to each other if they didn't communicate using the same protocols? HTML shouldn't have been the exception, but Microsoft (through IE) not only ignores the standards, it attacks them (moving DOM objects around for no reason, etc.). Not content with ruining the web experience for everyone else, IE is also one of the most insecure softwares on the planet. If any other company had produced such faulty software, they would've been sued out of existence long ago.
[/counter-rant]

D0ct0rteeth said:
Anyone whos been in the business for.....ohhhh..... ummm... 3 days knows how to build a site that will work wilth all browsers.

</rant>
Click to expand...
[counter-rant]
Anyone who's been in the business that long knows that IE should be shot.
[/counter-rant]

Ok, back to my old self:)
 
Onizuka said:
LOL@ the "suxs0rs!" Thanks for that!

Let me make myself clear, here. It's not out of spite just because IE is an MS program or anything. It's because so often I hear people griping that "this site doesn't render in IE." I also hate it when companies produce their sites and ecommerce/applications under IE.

IE is substandard. I don't like firefox, myself. I love Safari, but more people I know use Firefox (regardless of platform) or Opera.

I don't think it's petty. I also think that my site alone won't convince anyone to switch to another browser, but if millions of other people do it, maybe larger corporations will take the hint that IE isn't the end all-be all of browsers. As it stands now, IE is the least efficient and featureless (and security plagued) browser of them all.
Click to expand...

All you have to do is create a page to check if the browser is IE. If it is redirect them to another page of yours saying something like, "These browsers here work much better than what you have." Give icons and links to the alternatives. BUT also include a link for IE browsers to access the site regardless. This way if they have IE they'll be prompted by this page but can still access your site if they want.
 
Avoiding getting into this argument again, I'll give an easy solution to the original question... with PHP, you can provide an alternate stylesheet, or modify this to suit your needs with...

Code: 
<?php if(strstr($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'],'MSIE')): ?>
	<link rel="stylesheet" href="/iestyles.css" type="text/css" />
<?php endif; ?>
 
You might not like Internet Explorer, but if you believe in being able to allow the user to choose their browser and allowing anyone to access your data then you really should provide it in an acceptable form to those who choose Internet Explorer.

I am in fact writing this from Internet Explorer 7, and I have to say, I really like it!

According to the w3c Internet Explorer is being used by about 62% of people (Source) surfing the web. I wouldn't want to stop that many people from using my website.
 
richardjames said:
You might not like Internet Explorer, but if you believe in being able to allow the user to choose their browser and allowing anyone to access your data then you really should provide it in an acceptable form to those who choose Internet Explorer.

I am in fact writing this from Internet Explorer 7, and I have to say, I really like it!

According to the w3c Internet Explorer is being used by about 62% of people (Source) surfing the web. I wouldn't want to stop that many people from using my website.
Click to expand...

I have taken that into account, but at this point, don't really care. IT's not my fault 62% of people on the net don't heed security warnings or use a browser that tries to be as Internet-standards compliant as possible. I don't want to cater to these people because I'm learning web design by myself, and the less work I have to do for my personal web site the better.
 
Few things frustrate me more than being forced into using a browser that's not of my choosing – which is precisely why I wouldn't do the same to others.
 
dornoforpyros said:
Well your untitled to your opinion! I just hope your not planning to make web design a career
Click to expand...

not at all. like I said, it's my own personal site. I can do what I want with it, and this is what I want. I wouldn't do this for a client as a standard, but if someone wanted it that way I'd do it.
 
plinden said:
<rant>The worst example I've come across with this recently is developer.samsungmobile.com, which doesn't actually tell you that you need IE (it uses a pop up to tell you, but guess what? A lot of us who don't use IE have popup blockers). It allows you to register and attempt to login, but uses some funky, badly written IE-only javascript to actually log you in, so you're presented with a blank page if you're not on IE.

And that is supposed to be a techie-friendly site.

Edit: and you can't give them feedback to fix their site because you can only do that with IE!
</rant>
Click to expand...

This has been bugging me a little tonight...

Why don't you send them a friendly email to samsung saying, i'm complaining about firefox as it is more popular than safari (10% vs about 3%, sorry to any safari users ;)), saying something like:

Dear Samsung

I am finding it difficult to access developer.samsungmobile.com with the Firefox Web Browser, as a Mac user this is a problem as I cannot use Internet Explorer as unfortunately it is no longer supported for my operating system. Firefox is used by about 10% of web users now, I would expect more developers which the site is targetted for to use Firefox and other alternative browsers, as like myself they are web saavy so are more likely than average users to use other web browsers than IE. It would be very useful if you could add Firefox support so I can use your site on my computer without using another PC.

Thanks

If they come back with a non productive response at least suggest they use another method than Pop-ups as all modern browsers (including IE with XP Sp2) and anyone with Google/Yahoo/MSN toolbar or another browser gets them blocked automatically.
 
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