Seeing is believing

We should spread the word

As a website developer, this is absolutely fabulous news. These days its easier than ever to create great looking, cross browser compatible websites, that rely on minimal markup and basically just standards compliant code. There are countless other advantages which I will not discuss here, but I'm really happy about the way the web is currently improving.

With Apple's Safari browser also being pushed to windows users the battle really heats up. Safari is really fast and standards compliant whilst being low weight. Safari beats IE8 beta in every way you can possibly measure, but firefox with its extension support outstrips them all.

Some useful extensions I can't do without, and would be willing to pay for are:
- Adblock plus - it blocks ads on most sites which really speeds up loading time, as ad servers are usually slow. News24.com's loading time almost halves...
- Web Developer - it adds tools that web developers use...very nice
- Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer - After the initial 10 second setup, it automatically syncs your bookmarks accross all your computers without bothering you for anything ever!
- SearchStatus - I wouldn't actually pay for this, but it's a nice extension to show google pagerank and alexa rank for every page you visit

There are others, but most users won't really find them usefull. The best is to try some extensions for yourself - just take a look at the extension comments before you try it!

The only task should now be to inform the people of the better, more secure, and way faster online experience they can have by getting themselves a copy of firefox ( http://mozilla.com ), and after most have converted, we can celebrate IE wrotting in its grave...
 
yeah i've been running FF3 on this laptop for a while and so far so good - still waiting for some of my favourite extensions to get 3 compliant.

Gmail feels way nippier I must admit - i'll be sure to check out the rest of the Google Apps sometime soon as well.
 
I'm running IE 8 Beta with "Emulate IE7" mode on.

With it off, everything looks FUBAR.
Only reason I'm not using FF3 at home, is because, I paid for this XP, I might as well use IE (which is free)

I hate having alot of programs installed.
 
I regret [not!!!] to inform Microsoft, that I will not be able to upgrade to, nor install, Intranet Exploder version 8, bcos I have wiped out Vista and installed Ubuntu instead - I am now very happy and look forward to a released version of Firefox 3 :).
gdiza said:
Only reason I'm not using FF3 at home, is because, I paid for this XP, I might as well use IE (which is free)
Click to expand...
LOL, sorry but by paying for Windoze heXPee and also getting Intranet Exploder, you actually paid for Intranet Exploder as well - think cross-subsidizing.
 
now that's good reasoning

gdiza said:
I'm running IE 8 Beta with "Emulate IE7" mode on.

With it off, everything looks FUBAR.
Only reason I'm not using FF3 at home, is because, I paid for this XP, I might as well use IE (which is free)

I hate having alot of programs installed.
Click to expand...

HA! Firefox is free and WAY better than IE...just try it and see...forget about IE, it's beyond crap.
 
I wonder if for once one could say something about IE and Firefox without fanboys slamming either technology/OS/etc.

I for one am happy that IE seems to be getting standards compliant and that Firefox is embracing web apps so whole-heartedly.
 
@nellen: what type of statement is this to make on your site:

"Be careful of established developers as they often use very outdated methods to develop sites."

Please show me the rock you've been hiding under.
 
@hoover99

hoover99 said:
@nellen: what type of statement is this to make on your site:

"Be careful of established developers as they often use very outdated methods to develop sites."

Please show me the rock you've been hiding under.
Click to expand...

hoover99 have you seen any sites developed by OPA, chillies or mweb lately??, they are rubbish in terms of standards, SEO, browser compatibility, etc...the list goes on and on...

There are many others, but I don't want to go into name calling ;)
 
hoover99 said:
I wonder if for once one could say something about IE and Firefox without fanboys slamming either technology/OS/etc.
Click to expand...

Recognising differences doesn't make one a "fanboy", that's just a childish insult people (/ marketing companies) throw around to try stigmatise anyone who disses a product (usually IE) by implying any preference is always unfair and poorly reasoned bias. PRODUCTS ARE NOT EQUAL. E.g. a Porsche really is different to a Tata (yes, really - admitting that Porsche make better cars doesn't make one a "fanboy"). Fact is IE really does suck horribly compared to the others, this isn't a "fanboy opinion", it's a technical opinion grounded in solid technical arguments - from security to standards support to features it is demonstrably worse, has been lagging behind everyone else for years, and continues to do so. I mean, the very fact that the most exciting new development in the upcoming IE which hasn't even been released yet is that it merely bothers to start trying to support standards says it all. Whoop-te-doo. How low must my expectations be for me to think that's actually good? Is this like when somebody wants to be praised because they stopped beating their wife? And if I could tell you how many computers I've had to clean of drive-by malware installed through the gaping giant security holes in IE, it's truly a disaster of Eskom proportions. ActiveX in IE is one of the poorest design decisions in the history of the software industry - and the disaster was predicted - they needed a model for dynamic content to compete with Java, didn't have one, threw in COM even when the whole world said that would be a bad idea and rushed it to market (I remember all this). Internet Explorer has now been badly unsecure for literally over ten years continuously even when kept up to date. If a huge company with tonnes of cash and thousands of developers like MS can't secure a basic web browser in ten years, they can't secure it at all. Actually if a bunch of people in their free time can make a better browser, then IE is a scandal. After suffering through years of pure industry stagnation with incredibly crashy and sucky browsers, I'm happy to see that the web browser 'market' is becoming competitive again, and that there is actually a (forced) trend towards better standards support - ten years too late.

If merely having an opinion makes me a "fanboy" then so be it. Forming informed opinions (and being man enough to stand behind them) used to be regarded as a good thing until marketers cleverly convinced us otherwise. You are being manipulated by marketing companies, recognise it and work around it, e.g. stop parroting the ad hominem "fanboy" and revert to reason.
 
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You might have caught this piece of news late in the week, but there is a storm brewing over the fact that Apple has pushed Safari 3.21 for Windows onto users computers along with an update to iTunes without them requesting the installation. Apple is calling it an "update" but it was installed even on those computers on which the Safari box was specifically unchecked.

Here is some Slashdot commentary on the brouaha

http://slashdot.org/articles/08/03/22/1536250.shtml

Mozilla CEO Objects To Safari Auto Install
"Do you use iTunes on Windows? If so you may be getting the gift of Safari from Apple whether you want it or not, and Mozilla CEO John Lilly is not happy about it. After his daughter was offered Safari as a 'bonus update' with a recent update to her iTunes software, Mr. Lilly says on his blog, 'What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong. It undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that's bad — not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web.' He also pointed out the check box is already clicked when you go to update meaning you have to opt out, not in and that it lists Safari as getting an update even if you don't have it installed."
Click to expand...
 
switch over to FF since it came out and never looked back
 
haha. i've been using firefox for years - i was talking about the argument that always ensues, not the technology. i guess your response makes it moot point eh.

btw, what marketers are you referring to? the ones that pre-package IE with each installation of Windows?

ps - I'm a devout Firefox fanboy. however i don't see the need to make a twat of myself about it..
 
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