Just Browsing

Back in June, we provided an update on the slow, lingering death of Internet Explorer 6, as tracked by IE6 Countdown, which seeks to get global usage of IE6 below 1%, so that developers can feel more free to stop supporting it. I bring it up again because the United States has just dropped below that 1% target number.

As of June, the numbers we reported were 10.9% global usage, with Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland under 1%. Globally, the number is now at 7.7%, with Austria, the Czech Republic, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, and again, the United States. In June, the US was at 2.3%; they're now at 0.9%. Canada sat at 2.7%; they're now at 1.4%. The United Kingdom was at 2.7%; they've also dropped to 1.4%. The bottom five in June were China at 33.9% (still bottom, but now at 25.2%), South Korea at 22.3% (still 2nd, now at 7.2%), Vietnam at 11.6% (now 4th at 5.5%), India at 11.5% (now 5th at 5.4%), and Taiwan at 8.6% (now 6th at 4.9%). Japan is now in 3rd, at 5.9%.

Also, the guy who showed up here using Netscape? Apparently still using Netscape. Or whoever it is that showed up here during the last month. Also, who browses the Web on a PSP? Or a Wii? Really, you guys?

Meanwhile in Browser Land, there's Google Chrome, which Google is voluntarily demoting on its search results for the next two months after violating their own policy. They had been promoting Chrome through sponsoring blog posts which would praise and link to Chrome. You could note the ones they sponsored through the disclaimer "This post is sponsored by Google".

Though if you are using Chrome, while we're bringing it up, there is an app now available called No SOPA. When you use the app, as you're browsing, the app will alert you as to when you're visiting a site run by someone that supports the Stop Online Piracy Act. The app itself is available through that last link. Once you know, it's up to you to determine what to do with that information, though you could probably at least fire off a letter in opposition. To the site, to your legislators, to all of the above if you want.