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MSN Blocks Mozilla, Other Browsers [updated]

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the darn dept.

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."

5 of 1,295 comments (clear)

  1. this is the first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    POST! Yes, I posted the first POST. cool

    1. Re:this is the first by James+Skarzinskas · · Score: -1, Troll

      Too late, fool. Why do you even try to get the first post? It doesn't really do any good; just shows how sad you are to sit there waiting for new posts.

  2. Windows Update is worse... by supabeast! · · Score: 0, Troll

    At least MSN just turns you away. The last time I loaded up Windows update in Mozilla it went berserk and I had to escape out of X to get my system to respond to me...

  3. summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    by ForeignLanguageTroll (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:28PM * Re:Random crap, just like all slashdot comments Thursday October 25, @01:49PM * Re:First Nigger by cyborg_monkey (Score:-1) Thursday October 25, @12:33PM * So sorry you couldn't get first post, cracker by First Nigger (Score:-1) Thursday October 25, @12:35PM * Oh please!... by crumley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:35PM * Re:Not for me by savaget (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:39PM * Re:Not for me by 13013dobbs (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:39PM * Re:Not for me by bee-yotch (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:52PM * Re:Not for me by phnx90 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:39PM * Re:Not for me by phnx90 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:42PM * Re:Not for me by phnx90 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:48PM * Re:Not for me - iCab works by victim (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:42PM * Re:Not for me Thursday October 25, @12:45PM * Re:Not for me by Jebus_the_spork (Score:-1) Thursday October 25, @12:52PM * Re:Not for me - OmniWeb works by victim (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:46PM * Re:Not for me - OmniWeb works Thursday October 25, @01:37PM * Re:Not for me by ackthpt (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:18PM * Re:Not for me by how_would_i_know (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:46PM * Re:Not for me by Canyon Rat (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:18PM * Re:Not for me by basking2 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:25PM * Re:Not for me Thursday October 25, @01:45PM * Re:Not for me by Seedy2 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:26PM * Re:Not for me by Seedy2 (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:32PM * Re:Not for me by tlforden (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:44PM * Re:Not for me by Spruitje (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:33PM * NS 6 but not Mozilla by ellocogato (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:36PM * Re: Mozilla 2001101201 can't by whitelabrat (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:37PM * Solaris NS 4.77 OK (was Re:Not for me) Thursday October 25, @01:45PM * Opera 5.12 fails, NS 4.77, IE 5.50 work... ...

    [ Reply to This | Parent ] * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by garett_spencley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:42PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by crumley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:45PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" Thursday October 25, @01:23PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by zangdesign (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:59PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by red_crayon (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:43PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by crumley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:43PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by Xenex (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:51PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by blkros (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:59PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by Xenex (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:08PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by DahGhostfacedFiddlah (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:11PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by crumley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:11PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by ymgve (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:16PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" Thursday October 25, @01:55PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by crumley (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:26PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by twoflower (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:05PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by crumley (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:15PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" Thursday October 25, @12:43PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by slaytanic killer (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:52PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by DrXym (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:55PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by Dr Caleb (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:59PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by jesser (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:30PM * Re:Not just "incompatible browsers" by Krieger (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:32PM * Anyone tried an earlier IE?...

    Remember: behind every sleazy lawyer there's a sleazy client. [ Reply to This | Parent ] * Re:Other browsers planning ahead by Telek (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:10PM * Re:Other browsers planning ahead by passion (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:16PM * Re:Other browsers planning ahead by Phexro (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:54PM * [OT] Re:Other browsers planning ahead by yulek (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:32PM Bigbrother (Score:0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 25, @12:37PM (#2478919) Seems like M$ is taking a lot of liberty, hiding behind the current crisis our world is facing....

    Thursday October 25, @01:31PM * Re:Confirmed, and this is great news. by Demerara (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:04PM It's just to fool statistics (Score:4, Insightful) by chrysalis (j AT 4u DOT net) on Thursday October 25, @12:37PM (#2478924) (User #50680 Info | http://www.jedi.claranet.fr) The workaround is easy : change your user-agent to MSIE....

    (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:59PM * Re:It's just to fool statistics by Trifthen (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:04PM * Re:It's just to fool statistics by Merk (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:12PM * Re:It's just to fool statistics Thursday October 25, @01:18PM * Re:It's just to fool statistics by TheTomcat (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:23PM * Re:It's just to fool statistics by Brian Kendig (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:30PM * User agent string needn't be "MSIE" by rickmoen (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:21PM Built in games in XP use MSN gaming site (Score:1) by Green Light on Thursday October 25, @12:37PM (#2478925) (User #32766 Info | http://www.grnlight.net/) The article talks about several bundled things that use MSN (Media Player, etc.)....

    [ Reply to This | Parent ] * You're confusing a corporation with an individual by Improv (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:45PM * Re:You're confusing a corporation with an individu Thursday October 25, @01:01PM * Re:You're confusing a corporation with an individu by blkros (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:25PM * Re:You're confusing a corporation with an individu by Improv (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @01:33PM * Re:You're confusing a corporation with an individu Thursday October 25, @01:38PM * Re:MSNBC belongs to Microsoft by jonestor (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @12:49PM * Re:MSNBC belongs to Microsoft by nojomofo (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:30PM Very Lame (Score:1) by dood on Thursday October 25, @12:38PM (#2478931) (User #11062 Info) Yep, it works in Netscape 6, but not Mozilla....

    :) [slashdot.org] [ Reply to This | Parent ] * Re:Simple fix :) Thursday October 25, @12:54PM Konqueror works (Score:1) by root_42 on Thursday October 25, @12:42PM (#2478982) (User #103434 Info | http://www.root42.de/) Konqueror 2.2.1 works great (more or less, for a MS site), if you change the user agent setting to something with "Internet Explorer" in it.... [ Reply to This | Parent ] * Re:Konqueror works by nvainio (Score:1) Thursday October 25, @01:01PM I don't care if its Microsoft or not (Score:1) by JWW on Thursday October 25, @12:42PM (#2478984) (User #79176 Info) Any company that carries out these kind of practices (specifically actively locking certain browsers), isn't worthy of having business done with them....

    When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. [ Reply to This | Parent ] * Re:In other news by tuffy (Score:2) Thursday October 25, @12:52PM * Re:In other news Thursday October 25, @01:49PM MSN isn't the only culprit (Score:1) by rbuchheit on Thursday October 25, @12:46PM (#2479045) (User #469292 Info | http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~rb6g/) If you try to log on to Apple's iTools [www.apple.com [apple.com]] using a PC, the website tells you that you can only access the site using a Mac.

  4. Re:Hack the User Agent header? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Why is everyone interested in "...getting around this." If MSN wants you to use a compatible product, why not use the compatible product?

    If you like using Browser X for visiting websites, keep Browser X to visit the website where Browser X will render the pages properly.

    IE is even free (as in beer or whatever it is you typically say to indicate no cost). What is the big objection to using the product. Is it just because its made by Microsoft.

    If you want browser X to render the site properly, complain to the chairman (or its free software equivalent) of the company that makes browser X. They should either update their product to make it compatible, or legally license the IP that would make information render properly.