Browse Happy… L-I-T-E-R-A-L-L-Y
Sat, October 14, 2006
Filed under: Coding, Internet, Rants
If I see one more “Browse Happy” button, while using Microsoft Internet Explorer, I might very well scream… well, more likely mentally; still I’ll definitely be one annoyed ‘net surfer, that’s for sure.
Oh and just for the record:
MY FAVOURITE BROWSER IS MOZILLA FIREFOX, and I KNOW INTERNET EXPLORER IS UNSAFE.
… thus it stands to reason, that 95% of my online I use Firefox or Opera.
Unfortunately for me/you/the world (and whoever else might be concerned) I can’t/won’t always use these browsers. Reasons, as to why, vary, but the most frequent are:
- My university computers limit the access of Firefox (e.g. can’t access my yahoo account) and Opera is not installed (and we’re not allowed to install software on uni computers).
- BestAnime[dot]com requires Internet Explorer, for me to be able to listen/download its audio and video files.
- I’m checking a site (mine or someone else’s) for cross-browser compatibility.
- Internet Explorer is the only browser installed on the computer I’m using.
In light of the above-mentioned reasons, I get increasingly angry when I’m told that I should switch to a smart way of browsing, since I’ll find myself browsing happier. I sincerely feel like strangling the next person to tell me that.
I don’t feel happier simply because I’m using a certain type of browser. I browse happily when… :
- I visit interesting sites (however subjective this might be)
- I don’t need to change my browser/resolution in order to view a site
- I don’t need to wait eons for a site to fully load
- my browser doesn’t ‘crash’ (i.e. closes unexpectedly)
Does that seem like I’m asking too much? How can you achieve these?
Easy:
- design sites using correct (X)HTML and CSS
- minimise the scripts you use (these increase loading time)
- have a layout width no larger than 775px (I prefer vertically scrolling layouts to horizontally scrolling ones) or specify it in percents
- write about things YOU came up with, not something that is trendy and can be found on 10517495 other sites
In conclusion: STOP telling me that browsing your way will make me happier. Chances are that you’ll just annoy me, and I’ll do it differently just to spite you.
haha I’ve never really noticed those, but I can imagine how annoying it must be when you know that Firefox is the best, but you have no choice about whether to use it or not.
Don’t you hate how certain sites only use internet explorer still?? It drives me nuts.
Of course… then again, anyone that makes me change my way of browsing annoys me. Really, it’s (X)HTML and that’s what browsers are programmed to display, so quit it with your requirements.
All last year we yelled at the head of my department to let us install FireFox on all of the computer science lab computers. This year, our IT department has installed it on every single public computer on campus. It was a joyous day. The other day, the head of my department mentioned how FireFox is unsafe. We were all like, “Yeah, but it isn’t as targeted as Microsoft Internet Explorer is, and it provides better control of security settings.” He was like, “I guess…” He’s living in the past.
At least he knows something… unlike our IT technitian.
Tech: What do you mean you can’t access the computer with that password?
Vera: I can only access my Linux account with it. The windows account works with my password from last year.
Tech: maybe… have you tried it with this password too?
Vera: erm, no… but it’s bound not to work.
Tech: you can never know until you try it.
this is where we all stared at the Tech as if he had grown a second head. Because OF COURSE one username can work with two different passwords… like DUH!
ahh.. thanks for these great infos!
ahehe,, these stuffs are really helpful guidelines though..
Hahaha. That just made my day.
Anyways, yeah. I’ll take the 775px layout into consideration. I never go any larger that 800×600, but that still might be too big for some resolutions.
I appreciate the comments you leave on my site, they help me improve.
Thank you! I needed to read this because I’ve been so annoyed with certain people on the internet these days.
#1 - People who are so proud of the websites because they’ve worked it out so that it works in Firefox (not always marked up properly), but their website is nothing but email forwards and memes. No matter what browser I’m using, I’m still going to hit that little “x” in the corner.
#2 - People who are anti-I.E. or anti-Firefox. Can’t we all get along?
#3 - People who keep forcing their browser opinions on me. If I want to use Internet Explorer, I will. If I don’t, I’ll use Firefox. If I don’t want to use that, I’ll open my Opera. No matter how many times you tell me how your browser is superior, I will do what I want.
UGH! I’m done ranting now. Thank you again, even if it did drudge up my grrrness. LOL!
“People who are anti-I.E. or anti-Firefox. Can’t we all get along?”
Precisely. Now you make me wonder why I made such a long post when I could’ve just said that?
Meh, I like to rant.
I use firefox and I would NEVER go back to I.E.
I dont fight with people about that, they can use whatever browser they want, but I do think that we should get rid of I.E. and all use firefox
Dunno about getting rid of it… I’m always testing my site in Firefox and Internet Explorer on a first hand basis. In my experience if it works in those two there;s a probabilyt of 9 out of 10 that it will work in anything else as well. So I suppose Internet Explorer has its advantages too.
Firefox is my favorite browser, too. I typically use it for everything when its available, and only use IE when I have to. I do have the add on to let me open up a page in IE with one click incase a site isn’t FIrefox compatible, and that’s pretty handy. Having access to both is better than just one ;P
Although I use Mozilla Firefox 99.9999% of the time, there are some other times where I have to switch to Internet Explorer. For example, when I check my school email (That email server is soooooo firefox-unfriendly), and when I do iBanking. Some features on some other sides don’t work with Firefox too.
I await the day where the entire www becomes cross-browser compatible. 
The entire http://www... cross-browser compatible?
If things like what I\’m blogging about will keep happening, I have extremely little faith. Before, it was Internet Explorer beats all, now Firefox beats all… next it will be \”some_other_kewl_browser\” beats all. *sighs*
Aaah!! I sort of forgot your email!! Anyways your review has been finished!! The link is http://snow-pearls.simply-torn.net/review_3.php. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me. Thanks!!
Vera, I’m so lazy I don’t feel like looking for a contact page. Anyway, I’m going to bring my website into the 21st century. Again, I am so lazy, I don’t feel like installing WordPress to answer my own question. Anyway, how does WordPress have you add a new entry? A form? Hm? Thanks.
I tried using the php functions ’separately’ (i.e. outside of their prope files), however I kept having issues with the comments….
So in the end I just turned my layout into a theme (change the stylehseet and maybe move the get_sidebar functions to the top of the page, in a couple of files - depending on what you want your layout to look like). And yes… I spent around 3 hours doing this (this included 2 installations of WP - since the 1st time around I managed to buts my database *shifty eyes*).
Thanks for the info. It annoys me too. I use IE for certain sites.
i have AoL so im stuck with IE. but i do have firefox for when i design my layouts. to make sure they work in both. xD if i ever get dsl or cable internet i’ll be a fulltime firefox user.
While I’m a diehard Firefox fan, IE7 is REALLY nifty (it’s installed on my bf’s computer, I can’t get it on my computer).
Firefox happens to be my favorite browser as well, but I think that may have something to do with tabbed browsing, and the handy Web Developer toolbar that I use. I don’t mind Internet Explorer, but I like to have multiple windows open at once, so I always end up having a bunch of IE windows, while in Firefox, I just have tabs.
I also hate it when layouts are so wide that they create a horizontal scrollbar. I don’t mind vertical scrolling ones, because of the scroll-y thing on my mouse, but when you have to scroll horizontal, it takes too much effort.
Oh, Vera, hunny! But now I have to tell you about how you shouldn’t be visiting anime sites -no matter what- : ( *so sad*
*dies* B-but I can’t live without anime… *sob sob sob*
In the end it’s all about the same: why can’t you respect others’ preferences?
You should be able to visit any site on what internet “software” you want. We all know what we like.
At least half of these banners now only appear if you’re using IE. I remember when the Browse Happy site first came out and people were displaying the banners without any sort of user agent checks which means I could be using Firefox AND get told to “Browse Happy” - talk about redundancy.
90% of the time I see them, I DO use Internet Explorer, but it’s still iritating *huffs*