#37: How and why should I keep my browser current?
I had an incredible (as in “not to be believed”) experience a short time ago doing outreach for The CLIC. A frustrated school rep sent an email insisting that the site did not work: the video did not play, the links were all dead, what gives? Knowing that the site works perfectly, I asked what browser she was viewing the site with, and it turned out she was using Internet Explorer 6. Which was released in 2001. And wholly retired more than two years ago by Internet Explorer 7. Naturally, that little wrinkle in time has led me to this impassioned post.
Update. Your. Browser.
To make things simpler and faster for you, as of the date of this post, the current browser versions are:
Firefox 3.05
Internet Explorer 7 (IE8 is in beta - seriously, ditch IE5 and IE6!)
Safari 1.2
Opera 9.63
Why you should keep your browser current. I’m going to start here to get you on the “latest version train,” then I will walk you through how to make it happen.
Computer Safety/Security. This is a huge issue for users of Internet Explorer (IE), which, by virtue of being a Microsoft product, is constantly attacked by the nefarious nerds of the world. The vulnerabilities these coders expose put all of the contents of your computer at risk, jeopardize every person’s computer in your address book and, most visibly, cause your computer to bug out when browsing, booting up, sipping non-fat lattes or whatever other mayhem they can wreak. Meanwhile, all of us Firefox-heads and you Mac users need to let go of our false sense of security - every browser has the potential to be hit! So update automatically or when prompted because it is so much easier than BUYING A NEW COMPUTER. Or paying a less nefarious but costly nerd to rid your drive of spyware, viruses, trojans, etc.
Using the Internet. This may surprise you (that is a serious statement, not a snark): Web sites are built and maintained based on the latest version of browsers, and as browsers evolve, their functionality changes. If you find yourself clicking dead links, hearing video but not seeing it, and in general feeling rage at your machine…consider the possibility that your browser may be 2-3 years out of date and the web site may have been built last month. (Not to mention if you have disabled javascript and pop-ups - you’re seeing a whole lotta nothing in 2009.)
It is really generous of some organizations to spend extra time and money to make their sites “backwards compatible” for old browsers. We are not one of those organizations. Using out-of-date software is, in truth, the opposite of working “faster, simpler, smarter.” We did, however, join Pushup so you’ll get a nifty little message when you visit Planet DMA if your browser needs updating. The fact that you may not be able to use our site at all is less nifty, but is a message, as well.
Maximizing the Internet. Some of you knew this was coming. If you are using an old version of any browser, or a browser other than Firefox, you might be living in a digital cave, waiting for Gnthwx, your fellow dweller, to bring home some fresh brontosaurus meat. (Yes, I know they did not co-exist; work with me.) Firefox is the leading browser for the digitocracy because:
- Code friendliness. It doesn’t add a bunch of stuff to clean site code as you build and test a web site. What you code is what you see, for the most part, unlike other browsers, which pad and margin and disable you to death.
- Preferred browser for developers. The code friendliness is why many sites say “this site optimized for Firefox.” As in, to borrow from Pres. Obama, if you are not using Firefox, “You’re on your own.” Or, “It is not our fault that your browser doesn’t understand basic CSS which has been around since your last dinner with Gnthwx.” On the other hand, some things built with Windows-developed tools are locked to only being viewed with IE. Grrrr.
- Customized browsing experience. Firefox has thousands of awesome free “plugins,” so you can add neat functionalities while you’re surfing the web (and given how much time we all spend online now, who wouldn’t want that?). Wanna encrypt your keystrokes? Grab an add-on! Want your toolbars to look like polished wood or replace those dull icons with cute kittens? Add on! Just search Tools/Add-ons for anything that pops into your head; you’ll be amazed.
Update your browser. I hope now you’re sold on getting updated! So here’s the simple part: 1) Check what version of your browser you are using, and 2) If it is not current, update it. Here’s how.
Check your browser version. On PCs, the version number of pretty much any software is under the “Help” link of your main toolbar. It will say “About [application name].” Click on that to see a pop-up with your latest version. (If you cannot find your Help link anymore in IE, you probably already are on IE7; they have hidden “Help” in the collapsed list to the right of your links for “Page” and “Tools.” See the images below for both. On Macs, your main toolbar usually has a menu option named for the application you are using. Click that to see the link for “About Application.”
 Firefox |
 IE7 (IE6 looks more like FF) |
Download and install the latest version of your browser. PC users, I recommend doing a system restore before making changes to your computer, so you can reset it if anything goes wrong.
 IE |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
 Google Chrome |
One last tip - I strongly recommend you have at least two browsers on your computer so you can use pretty much any site. One of those may need to be IE since some sites are IE-compliant only. You may want the other to be Firefox so you can customize, and it works equally well on Mac and PCs. And while I think Google Chrome is really delicious design, the main reason I use it is when I need to log into the same web site with different user ids at once - each new tab in Google is an independent browser experience! But that’s a different post.