down with IE 6

Done21 is taking an interesting stab at the Internet Explorer 6 problem: They're providing and hosting code to simulate an IE yellow notice bar which prompts users to upgrade.

Unfortunately, they're spreading the wrong message. While it's good to upgrade to anything other than IE 6, it's better to upgrade away from IE completely. So here's an improved notice bar which prompts the user to get Firefox instead.

Feel free to grab the code, remix for your own use. Provide your own message. Spread the word.

Try it out here.

<!--[if IE 6]>
<script type="text/javascript"> 
    /*Load jQuery if not already loaded*/ if(typeof jQuery == 'undefined'){ document.write("<script type=\"text/javascript\"   src=\"http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js\"></"+"script>"); var __noconflict = true; } 
    var IE6UPDATE_OPTIONS = {
        icons_path: "http://static.ie6update.com/hosted/ie6update/images/",
        url: "http://getfirefox.com",
        message: "Internet Explorer is a bad, bad browser. Click here to upgrade your Internet experience..."
    }
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.ie6update.com/hosted/ie6update/ie6update.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

IE6 Update is licensed by Done21 under Creative Commons BY NC SA 3.0. IE6 Update code is derived from Activebar2.

Microsoft just released Internet Explorer 8.

It's taken a bit longer than I'd hoped, but it's here. And it's good. If you've been holding back for any reason, please download Internet Explorer 8 today.

It's time to move on.

Somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the web's worldwide users are still running IE 6. If you're still using IE 6, it's time to move on. Your browser is eight years old. It has been five years since the last release. You are wasting a tremendous amount of time, money, and intellectual resources. Your dogged use of an archaic browser is responsible for more developer headaches than any other piece of software. It's time for IE 6 to die.

I won't go into all of the arguments here, they've been debated to death elsewhere. If you want more background, please check out the Bring Down IE 6 project.

There is a growing movement for a more peaceful demonstration of solidarity. But I don't think this is enough. Suffice it to say that I'm done arguing. I am convinced that outright war is the only remaining argument.

It's not too late. Download a better browser today. If you're willing to change, my fight is not with you.

Developers, bloggers, and friends. I invite you to join the war.

Please insert the following snippet in a blog post, in a comment, in your site template:

<!--[if lte IE 6]><style>*{position:relative}</style><table><input><![endif]-->

This HTML snippet is an antidote to Internet Explorer 6. Thanks to the magic of conditional comments, it will only inconvenience visitors using IE 6 or worse. And inconvenience them it will.

Note that in some content management systems, comments are automatically stripped out of blog posts and comments. If you publish on one of these platforms, I encourage you to add this snippet to your site template.

If this is too drastic a measure for you, please use one of these other tools to alert your users.

Internet Explorer 6 users please view this post, in its entirety, after the jump.