Dave's Profile

Member since February 22, 2006

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    Dave Lane

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  1. Comment - Interview: Microsoft Exec Talks IE7, RSS

    (Feb 22, 2006 - 6:02 AM)

    Gary,

    Can you explain how the IE7 team and Microsoft can justify releasing a brand new browser that doesn't conform to open web standards for CSS, HTML, and XML as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (or the W3C, a group in which I believe Microsoft participates)?

    Given its vast resources, how can Microsoft let tiny little teams like those building Konqueror (Linux), Safari (Mac OS X), Firefox/Mozilla (cross platform), and Opera build browsers that are all significantly better at complying to open standards than Microsoft's brand-spanking new flagship browser? Isn't it deeply embarrassing for you? It sure would be for me.

    Why didn't Microsoft simply adopt the Firefox or Safari/Konqueror code base, both of which have been offering most of IE7's advances (and standards compliance besides) for quite some time now, as their open source licenses allow you to do?? Too much pride? Not enough smarts? Not enough lock-in?

    As a web designer, I believe the sorts of poor technical decisions Microsoft makes and its bizarre (and utterly indefensible) refusal to adhere to open web standards simply makes my job much more frustrating. Working around the pathetic deficiencies of IE5, 5.5, and 6 more than doubles the time it takes to develop a reasonable site. My customers pay twice as much because of Microsoft's incompetence. And now the IE7 team is perpetuating it for another generation of browsers by stating categorically (in the IE7blog) that W3C standards compliance isn't even on the agenda.

    When is Microsoft going to surprise me, by doing something kind or honourable or courteous or something good for mankind? But then that might lead to you gaining good will in the marketplace - something you don't need when you're a brazenly law-defying monopoly who has the US government in your back pocket, I guess.

    Good luck to you, Gary - you'll need it. I voted with my feet long ago, and I'm working with an ever growing team of developers that is actively pursuing a day when Microsoft is irrelevant.

    (written in Firefox 1.5 on Linux)