Gist: Digg thinking about removing certain features for IE6 users to lessen time needed to support the browser. Through a survey, they concluded that 76% of IE6 users didn’t really have a choice to use the browser, whether imposed by workplace or otherwise. 37signals removed support for IE6 in 2008. However, both userbases may be tech-savvy skewed, so therefore may know Firefox and its improvements better.
Digg announced today that they were thinking about dropping certain logged-in features for Internet Explorer 6 users, in order to refrain from wasting an non-proportional amount of time, money, and resources supporting the archaic browser. Microsoft (MSFT) Internet Explorer 6, released in 2001, is an eight-year-old browser with notoriously abysmal web standards compliance and security. In a user study that Digg performed on their IE6 users, they concluded that most IE6 users didn’t have a choice as to which browser they used, and only about 24% used IE6 by choice, and that telling people to upgrade to IE6 is not effective.
A similar move was implemented by web small business services provider 37signals as they removed support for IE6 to free up time wasted performing compatibility for IE6.
It is crucial to note, however, that Digg’s general userbase is more technology-savvy than the standard index of the average website. Perhaps it is the same with 37signals as well. In other words, I don’t see Goldman Sachs deprecating IE6 support anytime soon.
