Permit me a rant. For more than two hours this morning, I worked on a “Recent Comments” section for the BB Blog’s sidebar. I tweaked settings and code and got it looking very nice. Furthermore, the additions are compliant with all the relevant standards for HTML, CSS, and all those web-oriented languages.
So the blog looks great in Firefox, the best web browser, and Safari, Apple’s browser. I made the layout a little different in the comments area, so that it’s easy to tell who commented most recently.
Then, Anita calls at 5 pm (our time) to say that the blog is broken. She sends screenshots. Indeed, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer cannot understand the minor changes I made.
First:
The blog is not broken, Internet Explorer is broken.
When I tried to add a linkroll in June and Internet Explorer didn’t like it, I sighed and used an alternate, inferior service. A few weeks later, I fought an all-day, pitched battle with Internet Explorer in order to display our latest Flickr photos in the sidebar. I lost that battle, and so you get no pictures. In all cases, every other browser worked on the first try.
But the majority of our friends read our blog on Internet Explorer. So for today, no cool recent comments thingie for you!
And tomorrow morning, I’ll try to trick Microsoft’s demon-spawn into displaying simple text … instead of writing real content, or reading about Irish politics, or exploring the Northside.
Well, if they’d let me use firefox, I would… but I don’t have Admin rights, so I lose!
Comment by Dave — 28 August 2007 @ 17:51
When i read “no cool recent comments thingie for you!” i actually heard your voice in my head and pictured you shaking your finger at me. um..please don’t be angry – I use firefox!
Comment by Theodora — 28 August 2007 @ 21:30
Dave! dude! I understand no admin rights, but please! they won’t give you firefox??? those feckin’ bastards! (please note: i have NO idea who ‘they’ are, but they’re probably british, feckin’ bastards).
Comment by Theodora — 28 August 2007 @ 21:34
A company that supplies inferior phones created in the 70’s cannot be expected to be mainstream enough to supply the most effective internet service. We should probably be happy we have access to the internet at all. (see Anita, I told you I’d complain about the phones whenever and wherever)
Comment by Katherine — 29 August 2007 @ 17:03
Katherine, you just have a high enough pay grade at “a company.” Because groups get charged for every kilobyte of data, non-exempt employees must keep their email messages to less than fifty words.
You’ve never noticed the coin-slot next to your admin’s monitor?
Comment by Will — 29 August 2007 @ 18:43
Will, we appreciate that you fight the good fight for us. Since I’m stuck with IE, I will continue to read the blog knowing that there is even more coolness beyond my reach. Much like when I watch TV or listen to radio without HD. I can now add reading The BB in the blogsphere without Firefox. It will give me something to look forward to…a day when I can read The BB in all it’s perfection. Curses on IE for preventing me from having that day!
Comment by Jaime Baldner — 29 August 2007 @ 19:09
You know, hell is florescent lighting and forced use of IE – and so often they come together.
Comment by Theodora — 31 August 2007 @ 16:28