Written by Christian on November 2, 2010 in Uncategorized - No comments
Why People Still Use IE 6
Internet Explorer 6 is always a hot subject of debate. If you search the net , you will find that there are forums full of folks trying to troubleshoot it. The CSS support is problematic and the JavaScript support is proprietary nonsense.
The conversation is heating up a little hotter than usual lately, as major companies are starting to pull support for it. Apple’s new MobileMe service doesn’t support it. 37 signals is phasing out support for it. Matt Mullenweg says WordPress.com is still seeing about 25% of visits from IE 6 but will consider phasing out when it drops below 10%.
An important aspect of web design is making websites cross browser compatible ( meaning that the site looks the same whether you are viewing it in Internet Explorer 6 or Google Chrome ).
I thought I would start the conversation by covering the reasons I think people still use this browser. The percentages I am applying here are just for fun and complete speculation on my part. Feel free to chime in with comments on why you think so many people are still using this browser.
1. Because they have to (30%)
I hear fairly regularly from people using IE 6 because that’s what is on their computer at work and they are not allowed to change it. Big companies are slow to change, that has always been true. I’m no security expert, but I’m told IE 7 ( is a much more secure browser, I would think that alone would be intensive for big companies to get their employees on IE 7. But still, from an IT perspective, I can understand how rolling out a change like this can take tons of man hours for seemingly little benefit, especially if using the web isn’t core to the companies business.
People might also hold onto IE 6 because they use a website that either does, or claims to, only work on that browser. These websites are getting fewer and far between but they are certainly out there.
2. Because they have an old computer. (20%)
If they are using Windows 2000 IE 6 is the most current browser for that operating system as far as I know. Not to mention ME and 98.
3. Because they actively don’t care / dislike change (35%)
I say “actively” because if they just “passively” don’t care, Windows has probably automatically upgraded them without them even knowing. If they are actively not caring, they are probably clicking “No” and “Cancel” on whatever dialog boxes come up suggesting upgrades. They are probably creating more work for themselves by doing so, but they don’t know that.
If anything does change on their system, they may even take drastic steps to have it restored to it’s original version. I bet Geek Squad people could tell your stories of people demanding their web browser be returned to IE 6 after accidentally upgrading. People get used to using software in a certain way to get what they need to do done, and they are prone to getting upset if anything interrupts that.
4. Because they don’t know any better (15%)
I believe this is the smallest portion. People that could or would upgrade to a better browser, if convinced, but just don’t know the advantages yet.
Noticeably missing from this list:
“Because they want to.” I bet there are some crazies out there that love IE 6, but this is sub 1%.
What do these things all have in common?
There is very little we can do. We can educate people about the advantages of better browsers, but a lot of times we are just preaching to the choir or talking to deaf ears. The realit is, as we probably all know deep down, is that we are just going to have to wait this out. In a few years we’ll see probably lower than 10% usage across the board. Then we’ll be upset about a whole new set of things we want to use but are upset IE 7 doesn’t support!
Written by Christian on March 6, 2010 in How To - 4 Comments
I had a client ( hey Charu 
that was having issues posting to a blog because her computer kept freezing , and she was getting the infamous “ Unresponsive script” pop up.
This could come from a number of things such as :
- The script is doing a Sarah Palin and is running “Rogue”
- The script could be conflicting with plugins you are using ( mainly in Firefox)
- An extension that you have installed is conflicting with the page somehow
- You have low system memory
The list could go on , but we will deal with the ones I have listed up above.
Ah , and here it is … Unresponsive script ,,,,
First thing to do is disable the plugins that you are using, and try repeating the action that lead you to the unresponsive script. If your computer and the site are responsive to this , then systematically begin restarting each individual plugin until you find the nasty little bugger that is causing the script error .
If your browser is still acting temperamental sans plug-in extensions, then your next plan of action is to take a look at how your computer is performing.
If you don’t already, you should equip yourself with a program or programs to keep your computer running smoothly.
I have compiled a list of some free software that I personally use that keep my computers running great. Did I mention that they are free?
The first on this list is Advanced System Care
This program is is wonderful. Upon installation your system files will be backed up , and then an analysis of what is screwed up on your computer will be taken . This program fixes:
- Registry Errors
- Invalid Shortcuts
- Remove any excess clutter
- Check for spyware
- Remove Cookies
- Hard Drive Defragmentation
You can also manage which programs load on startup (which is great to keep all of that juicy ram free, lol )
Here is a screen shot of this badboy in action
Next on our list is CC Cleaner from Pirisoft .
This is another system optimizer, however this little gems main niche is cleaning out unused files from your system – allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. CC Cleaner also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! 
Last on our list is AVG FREE
An antivirus program will help round out this nice collection of system maintenance apps. This next piece of software offers the type of protection that you could only expect from the big dogs in the game ( Mccafee , Norton , Kaspersky , etc )
When you install the program you are given the option to use the free or the paid version . ( you can switch at anytime ) .
- Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware
- Makes sure you can't get or spread a virus, worm, or Trojan horse
- LinkScanner®
- Ensures every web page you visit is safe – even before you go there
- Online Shield
- Lets you download and exchange files without risking virus infection
- Advanced Anti-Rootkit protection
- Game Mode
- Keeps you safe without interrupting you while you're playing
- Phishing protection
- Checks to make sure web pages really are what they appear to be
- AVG Identity Protection
- Keeps your private information safe from known and unknown threats
- Enhanced Firewall
- Prevents hackers from seeing inside your computer
- Anti-Spam
- Blocks spammers and scammers from clogging your system
- Expert Technical support
This list could go on and on , but I'll cut it short ( for now ) .. I think I may revist this post and update it in the future .
Is there a piece of freeware that you just 
? Let e hear about it …
Written by Christian on March 4, 2010 in Uncategorized - 10 Comments
Why does my website look different on different browsers?
Having a website look the same on different browsers is no easy feat. It is a battle that has existed since the early days of the internet. The reason is simple – the visualization of a website depends on many different variables such as:
- The visitor's OS (operating system)
- The visitor's display resolution
- How the browser interprets the page
1. The visitor's OS
If your website uses submit buttons, radio buttons, check boxes and edit fields, all of them will be visualized depending on the visitor's OS and its style. For example, a submit button can look like a gray rectangle on your Windows Classic theme, and like an oval if you use the XP style. As a workaround, you can create custom buttons for your website.
The code of an ordinary submit button looks like this:
<input type = "submit">
You can replace it with the following code in order to specify the submit button image:
<button type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit"><img src="submitimg.gif"/>Submit</button>
Similar changes can be made for the other parts of your website's interface. Consulting a professional web designer or searching the Internet will be necessary to solve all of the possible issues.
2. Visitor's display resolution
Display resolution is affecting quite a lot the way a website is displayed. For example, if you create your pages at 1024×768 they will not fit into the screen of a visitor that has set his/her resolution to 800×600.
In order to fix this, you should not use static dimensions for your website, i.e. instead of setting width = 1024px you can use width = 100%. This will not fix all issues but at least will make the page fit into the screen.
3. How the browser interprets the page
Web browsers do not render pages pixel by pixel. They read the entire code and produce an output depending on your code. There are, however, differences in the code interpretation. Therefore you should check the way your website looks on different browsers and operating systems. As a web designer , I check all of my work out on the most widely used browsers .
- Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera
- Safari
- And the baby of the bunch , Google Chrome.
You can use the following online tool in order see how your pages look on different browsers:
http://browsershots.org
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for that. You should check the specificities of each browser that fails to display your website correctly and make the necessary adjustments to your code.
In conclusion, you should test your websites on as many different browsers and operating systems as possible. If you spot any errors, you should try searching the Internet for a specific solution for the issue.
Written by Christian on February 17, 2010 in Polls - No comments
Written by Christian on December 5, 2009 in Google - 4 Comments
So , my girls computer crashed on her for like the 5th time yesterday , and I narrowed the problem down to her baby…. Google Chrome. I tried it out myself when it was still in Beta testing and I was very impressed that google was developing a browser meant specifically for faster page loads and easier surfing ( only on google pages of course ) but still the idea was genius… Almost a year later , the browser still has the look and feel of something that has not yet finshed beta testing. It's smooth and sleek design fall short of all of the crashin and compupter errors that it has given …. I have always been partial to Firefox becasue it comes bundled in a small 8mb package and does exactly what it needs to do . Of course Internet Explorer is the standard for all ,but we need change …. Google if you hearing me , hurry up and drop the android OS , and then maybe that may give me a change of heart ,lol.. So anyways , I uninstalled google chrome and then installed Opera ( its got some nifty features , but I wont get into that now ) , then we tried safari ( boooo mac ) … And after all of that , she went ahead and reinstalled google chrome ( hits head against desk ) …
Luv Jawn by Ackryte
I am a Senior Web \ Mobile Developer residing in sunny Orlando Fl. I love developing awesome mobile apps, fresh web designs, playing my bass guitar and watching Robot Chicken ( Adult Swim rocks lol) .Uber Twitter addict, and leopard gecko owner.
-Christian Martell
