Websites, browser requirements and staying current

[morkhans]

I started the new year with a new browser: Google Chrome. I liked the fresh look and the interface tweaks giving you some extra reading space, but I ended up missing FireFox. Going back to FF 3 though felt like a step backwards, so I joined the brave souls running FF 4 beta.

So far it's been pretty good, a number of add-ins are not working, but I like the look & feel and am certainly not feeling like a beta tester. Here and there I've hit a few pages where things don't work. I tend to mail the site admin to point out the issue and the most recent discovery was the print button in ABSA internet banking which does not work. So I dropped them a mail and got the following response:

Thank you for your email.

Kindly be advised that the problem you expereincing is caused due to Firefox 4 still being in beta stage. Absa Internet Banking does not get tested on Mozilla Firefox as it's not an approved platform for Absa Internet Banking as there is no local support for Mozilla in South Africa.

Please note that the following minimum requirements will apply when using Internet Banking:

We support any browser with SSL 2.0; SSL 3.0 and a 128 bit cipher, but our site is best viewed by using Internet Explorer 6.0 SP 1, or Netscape 7.2. You can confirm your browser version by selecting the Help drop-down menu and then clicking on the About option.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to email me on [email protected] or contact our Internet Banking helpline on 08600 08600, International +27 11 276 7900 which is available 24 hours a day.

Regards

I hope this is just a cut'n'paste reply because any bank who is still supporting IE6 and Netscape 7.2 (released 2004) needs their heads checked. Also why are they ignoring on average 30% of the browser market held by FF and 15% by chrome?

So what's the deal? Should site developers be proactive about testing beta browsers or is it ok for them to wait for final and then scramble to fix incompatibilities. Personally I find ABSA's short-sightedness and love for archaic browsers rather appalling.

 

[Synaesthesia]

Interestingly ABSA works fine on Firefox -

All I can say is, dumbasses!!

 

[Raithlin]

Not an approved platform, eh? Since when do banks get to tell me how I access something I'm paying for?!

Makes me a happy man for not supporting them.

[ON-TOPIC]
Site developers should at least be aware of the latest stable browsers. As an aside, if we follow web standards, then in all fairness, there should be no worries. Each browser release is tending towards that standard, and the website shouldn't break. More often than not, it's a quirks mode or JavaScript error that shows up in beta testing...

Well done on being proactive. I was using FF4 in Beta 5, I think, but couldn't work without my extensions.


Anyhow, looking at ABSA's main page and banking page, I see the issue. Their main page is doctype HTML 4.01 Transitional, which shouldn't even be allowed any more, IMHO. It enables quirks mode.
The banking login page doesn't even have a specified doctype, which by default enables quirks mode too. You'd think their developers would at least have the sense to force the browsers to use standards mode. Bad coding.

 

[morkhans]

Interestingly ABSA works fine on Firefox -

All I can say is, dumbasses!!

I have had no issues with FF 3 either. FF 4 works for the most part expect the print button (which is a Java script pop-up of sorts. Far as I can tell).

Not an approved platform, eh? Since when do banks get to tell me how I access something I'm paying for?!

Makes me a happy man for not supporting them.

[ON-TOPIC]
Site developers should at least be aware of the latest stable browsers. As an aside, if we follow web standards, then in all fairness, there should be no worries. Each browser release is tending towards that standard, and the website shouldn't break. More often than not, it's a quirks mode or JavaScript error that shows up in beta testing...

Well done on being proactive. I was using FF4 in Beta 5, I think, but couldn't work without my extensions.


Anyhow, looking at ABSA's main page and banking page, I see the issue. Their main page is doctype HTML4.01 Transional, which shouldn't even be allowed any more, IMHO. It enables quirks mode.
The banking login page doesn't even have a specified doctype, which by default enables quirks mode too. You'd think their developers would at least have the sense to force the browsers to use standards mode. Bad coding.

Thanks for the input. Seems their site design hails from the same era as their supported browsers.

I've sent them a piece of my mind and they allege my email has been passed to the "Head Product specialist". I eagerly await a reply, but best they make sure to skip the cut'n'paste.