I never thought I’d type this entry.

My previous website portfolio has included code to apply hacks and fixes for IE6, 7 and 8. While I’m on the topic, this is good advice for all you budding (or some experienced) web developers out there. Why do I only apply fixes to 6, 7, and 8? IE5.5 and lower are basically no longer used, and people using it expect almost every site they use to look bad with it. IE9 isn’t released yet, and you simply don’t know how your fixes will look in it. This is the common philosophy: Develop it properly, then hack it for IE. Since every version of IE has substantially different rendering bugs, you can’t realistically apply the same fixes for IE6-8 in IE9 before you’ve tested it. You should always be as specific as possible with your hacks and fixes, to save them having unwanted effects in other browsers.

As I was saying. I installed the Internet Explorer 9 beta today. I loaded my most complex sites (with only IE6-8 hacks). I closed my eyes. I’d have prayed if I wasn’t atheist.

I spent a moment in the darkness of my mind thinking about the beautiful curved edges. The advanced Javascript applied styles. The HTML5 video. So pretty.

I opened my eyes.

I blinked.

At this stage, I’m pretty convinced my eyes are still closed, or my mind has stuck on the beautiful imaginings of the Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera view of my portfolio. I called my wife over and asked her: “What do you see?”

Internet Explorer 9 actually displayed the site properly. HTML5 video, inline-block li tags with styled block div child elements, curved borders – the lot.

It actually worked. All of it!

It actually worked.

This brings me to the title of this post. Call to Arms:

Now that Microsoft is showing some care towards standards, we all need to upgrade. Lets stop this trend of IE 6 and 7 (plus 8 to a lesser extent) usage NOW. Petition your IT manager, bully your friends and colleagues. No really, bully them.

If a genie appeared before me now and granted me one wish: It would be to instantly upgrade the whole world to IE9.

Thank you Microsoft. It’s been 18 years coming, but thank you.