Web browser

I'm an avid fan of firefox because of the brilliant idea of using tabs across the top of the screen for individual pages, while IE has to have seperate windows which clutters the screen. If IE was actually a better browsers, then I'd use it.
I dont avoid IE just because its from MS.

Security doesn't feature in your browser choices? Were IE and FF to offer identical features then FF would still be a very wise choice because it has less security holes (but not none) and more critically, when holes are found they are fixed MUCH quicker.

TBH, even if FF had LESS features than IE I'd use it on all my Windows machines for my own cyber safety.

I am just concerned that their wil be some browser preference going on here. TBH I use firefox, and I understand Barts point about older browsers, but surely the site should be IE friendly as most internet users use IE.

Most of the regulars here may use fierfox, but casual visitors and new users and to the site will probably be using IE. They should not be punished for this. I just think that the site needs to cater for them. Just because alot of us here use firefox and open source products,this does not mean that everyone does. Most people use MS and IE. By far the most popular browser is IE.

I am just concerned that their wil be some browser preference going on here. TBH I use firefox, and I understand Barts point about older browsers, but surely the site should be IE friendly as most internet users use IE.

Most of the regulars here may use fierfox, but casual visitors and new users and to the site will probably be using IE. They should not be punished for this. I just think that the site needs to cater for them. Just because alot of us here use firefox and open source products,this does not mean that everyone does. Most people use MS and IE. By far the most popular browser is IE.

No one's talking about not making the site work in IE. That would be insanity. It has to be functional in all current borwsers. However, IE does not support a lot of "embelishments" that are non-mission-critical but still pretty (like rounded corners of border, different types of border, separate formatting of the first letter of paragraphs to name but a few). We should not turn down those embelishments for FF users just because there are IE users out there!

I hear what you're saying Trevor, and that is an issue for us. What we want to do is simply create a page layout that looks as it was programmed to look. Trouble is, IE causes slight variances in that look. Therefore, we have to work harder to manipulate the code to appear as IE makes it appear the way we want it to, and not as it should appear regardless of browser.

Therefore, so far, we are willing to do that as much as possible, but a line has to be drawn where we simpy state that while every attempt has been made to make this site appear compliant in every browser, some variances may occur. It is very hard to create a site with so many components appear as it was designed to in each bowser - even harder in IE.

I would prefer not to let this thread get into a heated debate into the merits of IE vs Firefox etc - it has been done before! And it is not constructive! The web team has vast experience in this area, and we will do our utmost to make everyone happy, regardless of platform or browser being used, across the world!

Seanie.

I would prefer not to let this thread get into a heated debate into the merits of IE vs Firefox etc - it has been done before! Seanie.

I dont think it'll go that far. Out of curiosity, is there a page somewhere that we can open in FF and IE and see the differances you're talking. If the differances are small, then maybe its not a real problem ?

I would prefer not to let this thread get into a heated debate into the merits of IE vs Firefox etc - it has been done before! Seanie.

I dont think it'll go that far. Out of curiosity, is there a page somewhere that we can open in FF and IE and see the differances you're talking. If the differances are small, then maybe its not a real problem ?

I'm sure that can be arranged and I'd have to agree with Dave here. The page does not have to be identical in both, it just has to look good in both and be functional in both.