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MSN Blocks Mozilla, Other Browsers [updated]
k_hokanson writes: "I was just going to check out some tasty news articles, with my trusty Mozilla, at MSN. but what do I get when I go there? A nice little message telling me that 'in order to display this page properly', I have to get the latest version of IE! And no, there's no option to display it incorrectly. " Enough people have submitted this story that it can't be an isolated case;) Thanks, Microsoft. Here's the story on Yahoo!. CT: telling konqueror to lie about its User Agent causes the page to render correctly save the background which is the wrong color. Update: 10/25 23:19 GMT by T : kuwan writes "Looks like Microsoft was getting too much heat. CNet is reporting that Microsoft is backing off on their browser block. I'm only wondering how long it will be before they do it again with some other excuse as to why we all need IE."
Whatever it is they've got over there, by definition it isn't the web if it can't be viewed with a generic web browser.
By your definition today, that may be true. But if you know anything about language, you know that definitions change. If Microsoft has it's way, in five years "the web" might be defined as "what's viewable by Explorer."
You know how they negotiate. Imagine the next time Macromedia goes to Microsoft with an update to Flash. MS says, yeah, we'll distribute that plug-in for you, just do this one thing for us, make sure Dreamweaver inserts this little script that tests for "browser compatibility" or maybe maybe we'll distribute our ActiveFlash (tm) plugin instead.. W'ere not furcing you, you understand, just a business deal, you help us, we help you.
Now imaging the same thing with Adobe, and the HTML tools are all enforcing browser checks by default. All of a sudden it's a Microsoft Web.
Come on, folks. Netscape 4.7x is 1998 technology. You're better off using a new, real browser anyway (be it IE 5.x or Mozilla). There are SO many things Netscape 4 can't do; it's a wonder people still use that hulking pile of garbage. I really hope more sites start restricting access to it so I don't have to develop for it anymore.
In short: Upgrade your browser to something made this century.
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
Nope. The First Amendment still says that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech". You may not like my statement, but you know what? It's protected speech under the first amendment. So is the next sentence: Fuck off, you coward.
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased