[pioSko]

From http://www.theinquir.../?article=30643

Quote

Microsoft orders you to change your web-pages

Delays IE's ActiveX D-Day

By Nick Farrell: Thursday 30th March 2006, 07:22
MAKER OF the world’s most dominant Internet Browser, Microsoft has given Web developers an extra 60 days to change their web pages ahead of a big change to Internet Exploder.

Vole is planning to permanently modify the way Internet Explorer renders multimedia content on Web pages and admits that a lot of sites will suddenly not work properly under IE unless they are changed.

The change is not the result of any great technology shift, it is because of a patent row with Eolas Technologies, over the way Internet Exploder deals with ActiveX controls.

According to Eweek, Microsoft has told its partners that they have 60-days to reauthor their pages. Otherwise any ActiveX Controls and Java Applets will require user activation before the user can interact with the control.

Vole will release a "patch update" on top of the April patch that disables the ActiveX changes through June 2006.

In June another patch will be released that will override all changes. To be fair, Vole has been telling its customers and partners that it will be doing the upgrade since last December and most outfits have done so already. It is just a few haven't yet, including er Microsoft. Its own Channel9 marketing has a few problems we are told.

A FAQ sheet on the changes can be seen here.

[Xenon]

well i use Firfox and since IE = sucks, im not worried.

As far as Microsoft goes, its always crap. IE still happens to be the only browser without the tab system.

[michelle@urban]

Yet again Microsoft adding more problems to the cross browser compatibility issues we already have to deal with, not only do we have to worry about how IE users view our sites, we also have to worry about whether they can even view the multimedia content.

I can only hope that it will push more people over to alternative browsers like FIREFOX (bit of a plug there ) Just incase my point was not obvious enough; DITCH IE IT'S RUBBISH!

[Xenon]

michelle@urban, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 09:59 PM, said:

DITCH IE IT'S RUBBISH!

IE is a BITCH. SO DITCH

I couldnt agree more

Edit:
This should also make developer ppl migrate from MS Frontpage to Macromedia utilities and stuff. well the only chance for IE to survive is its upcoming version in Windows Vista, or it better get ready for burial.

This post has been edited by Xenon: 30 March 2006 - 11:27 AM

[snoj]

Oh come on you guys. The pages will still work, but the user will have to explicitly say to let them work. Nothing in how the page is displayed or viewed by other browsers will change.

[Xenon]

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 11:27 PM, said:

Oh come on you guys. The pages will still work, but the user will have to explicitly say to let them work. Nothing in how the page is displayed or viewed by other browsers will change.

you wouldnt get pissed off responding to every message box displaying the message ?

[michelle@urban]

Xenon, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 07:46 PM, said:

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 11:27 PM, said:

Oh come on you guys. The pages will still work, but the user will have to explicitly say to let them work. Nothing in how the page is displayed or viewed by other browsers will change.

you wouldnt get pissed off responding to every message box displaying the message ?

the pop ups strike back!!!

[snoj]

Xenon, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 12:46 PM, said:

you wouldnt get pissed off responding to every message box displaying the message ?

That is if the code stuff isn't registered.

The whole "IE Sucks because their changing the way ActiveX works" thing isn't called for. As far as I know the W3C is concerned, browsers can tag on their own added functionality. So if MS says, "Hey we need to change the way ActiveX works, here are some tips so your users will have a better time on your site." is fine, because they added it, it's their own little brain child.

The problems arise when web developers only code their site for only one browser because they don't know any better. I have no problem if they do so because they can only do what they want in IE. I'll then use IE to view the page.

Why do so many people use IE? Because they don't care, it's there, why bother with installing a new browser? As web developers we are to make our site's viewable to anyone who visits. To tell those visitors that they need to use a certain browser because you dislike a given company is just ridiculous.

[michelle@urban]

Need we say more?

[44corners]

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 06:16 PM, said:

The whole "IE Sucks because their changing the way ActiveX works" thing isn't called for.

Firstly, IE sucked wayyyy before they decided to "change the way ActiveX works"

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 06:16 PM, said:

The problems arise when web developers only code their site for only one browser because they don't know any better.

This is true, but as far as HTML/CSS goes, I personally have to add fixes/hacks to get around what IE (rarely Opera, Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape, or Safari) does to my design.

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 06:16 PM, said:

I have no problem if they do so because they can only do what they want in IE. I'll then use IE to view the page.

I don't know about anyone else, but I never flip between browsers (except for checking browser compatability). If a browser constantly p's me off by not displaying things properly or whatver then I change (just like I did from IE).

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 06:16 PM, said:

Why do so many people use IE? Because they don't care, it's there, why bother with installing a new browser?

I think it's more to do with the fact that they don't know any better. Incidentally, my dad (who is 67 btw) downloaded firefox because he thought IE was w*nk. Now I'm sorry, but if it has got to the stage when even pensioners are realizing how crap IE is, how long before everyone cottons on? The fact is people do and are downloading alternatives to IE because they're not satisfied. If you ask me, this change will only make more people ditch "my first browser" and download any number of the better alternatives.

This post has been edited by danielle_1_uk: 30 March 2006 - 04:06 PM

[michelle@urban]

hotsnoj, on 30 Mar, 2006 - 09:16 PM, said:

To tell those visitors that they need to use a certain browser because you dislike a given company is just ridiculous.

You should never tell a user that they need to use a certain browser full stop!

No one said it was a problem with Microsoft or Windows (even if apple mac and mac OS X are better ) Hey I have an Xbox My issue begins and ends with Internet Explorer as a browser. It seems to me that it has been allowed to get away with being crap for too long and it is about time it pulled up its socks and became the browser that it should be!

I for one (speaking from a design point of view) am sick to death of IE changing the look of my site. Trying to get a site to look the same in any number of browsers is fine until you try it in IE, you find yourself asking; "do I want my design to look right in IE or Firefox?" Now to me this should not be a problem. I should be able to design a site that will cross over all of the available browsers. To me it only highlights how crap IE is when it is the only browser that my design won't work in.

[pioSko]

Boy, did I not mean for this to become a IE vs FF thread. I just wanted to make youaware of the changes lol ... In MS defense, at least they're trying

[Xenon]

which will fail you can trust microsoft on that

edit: f**k me on my spelling

This post has been edited by Xenon: 31 March 2006 - 03:21 AM

[michelle@urban]

pioSko, on 31 Mar, 2006 - 08:49 AM, said:

Boy, did I not mean for this to become a IE vs FF thread. I just wanted to make youaware of the changes lol ... In MS defense, at least they're trying

It was inevetable

[44corners]

Xenon, on 31 Mar, 2006 - 07:10 AM, said:

which will fail  you can trust microsoft on that

edit: f**k me on my spelling

That would be true...if in fact they were trying even a little bit. But they don't try to adhere to Web Standards (probably because they think they don't need to) and blah blah blah.

I'm not a M$-basher but let's not pretend that they're remotely trying with IE...I think a pulling up of the socks is well overdue...

EDIT: Despite that, it seems I may have been a little hasty on this account in blaming IE entirely:

Quote

Why is this happening? Basically, it has to do with changes to the ActiveX plugin architecture in Microsoft's Internet Explorer that will affect every person who uses the Internet within Windows. And unfortunately, it's unavoidable because of the Vole's legal spat with Eolas Technology, which maintains that it has exclusive access to a patent that, although comparable to prior art of such functionality in all kinds of software, has been upheld by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the Vole has been unable to do anything about it - and the appeals submitted to the USPTO from Redmond keep falling on deaf ears. Basically speaking, Microsoft has long lost the battle - and could very well lose the war next....

from: here

This post has been edited by danielle_1_uk: 31 March 2006 - 06:05 PM