Richard Strucke

Since the release of Internet Explorer 6 in August of 2001, web designers and developers world wide had been petitioning Microsoft to update the application to better handle web standards. You could even make a case that IE6 had been de facto contributor to popularize the turn-of-the-century web standards revolution. A fight that continues today with recent incarnations of Internet Explorer; the most widely used web browser to not fully support some of the most basic web standards.

Let the party begin March 1st. Google plans to drop Google Docs and Google Sites support for IE6, as well as Google’s own Chrome 3, along with Firefox 2, and Safari 2 — can I get an amen?! It’s my opinion this will be the final blow to spur our less inspired friends, colleagues, and grandmothers to upgrade to a modern web browser, and finally release my fellow web design brethren from IE cross-site support slavery.

For more info, be sure to read up on Google’s latest move at the Official Google Enterprise Blog.

To sum up all the wisdom inside Microsoft, they have announced that Outlook 2010 will use the Word HTML rendering engine. Essentially, throwing web standards under the bus, mocking accessibility, and making HTML email render worse than it did in 2000!

In some respects, the news is almost laughable. But once that giggle wares off, and reality sets in, you realize a large majority of users are going to be stuck with an email application that renders HTML worse than it did a decade ago. That’s right, Microsoft is moving backward in time when it comes to application development.

[F]or the next 5 years your email designs will need tables for layout, have no support for CSS like float and position, no background images and lots more. Want proof? Here’s the same email in Outlook 2000 & 2010.

Why would anyone use such a ridiculous email application, you ask?
To be frank, most working users don’t have a choice. But we all do have a place to speak out and let Microsoft  hear our request to make a change!