Internet Browsers

[Stan]

Petr's Atkinson engine post was turning into a computer thread, so I will start a new one.

A few months ago, I went through a long process of registering on a Canadian Government web site. When I tried to access my account last week. I couldn't get into the site. After much frustration and several phone calls, I was informed that I had to use MS Internet Explorer to use their site.

 

[Rayanth]

Petr's Atkinson engine post was turning into a computer thread, so I will start a new one.

A few months ago, I went through a long process of registering on a Canadian Government web site. When I tried to access my account last week. I couldn't get into the site. After much frustration and several phone calls, I was informed that I had to use MS Internet Explorer to use their site.

In the US, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar in Canada, government agencies all use one browser, and forbid their employees from using others. By default, it's almost always IE, as that comes reinstalled with Windows. The reasoning behind this policy is that it's easier for the admits to support just one browser, no matter how buggy it is.

The drawback is that they tend to develop their websites just for that browser, as it's what THEY have to use to view it. Add lots of proprietary plugins from Microsoft without cross-browser support, and the majority of end users using IE for the same reasons...and it's just "easier" to make a webpage IE only.

Just sucks to be the end user that hates IE and all of its security issues. I believe there is a plufin for Firefox that makes it capable of parsing pages as if it were IE, but never tried it.

- Ryan

 

[lazylathe]

I am in the process of getting my Canadian citizenship and have registered on numerous government websites here in Canada.
I needed to do this for applications and tracking purposes.

I still use my Mac for this and have encountered no problems.
Sometimes it gives me the message that this site is best viewed in IE... But it always works on the Mac.

I am hoping it carries on working because it makes life much easier and safer for me.
Using a Mac Pro with 2 X 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors and 11GB of RAM.
All running on the latest version of Snow Leopard.

Maybe i am just lucky?

Andrew