Discontinuing support of IE6
on Fri, 2008-07-11 23:54. News All,
We are planning to discontinue support of Internet Explorer 6.
We want to be sure our users have plenty of notice, so we are going to set a date in September to make the change. Once we do, the site will not be accessible for visitors using IE 6, who will see a welcome screen with links to download a latest-generation browser like Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 3.
Why are we doing this?
Internet Explorer 6 is seven years old, and its replacement, IE 7, has been available for almost two years. The newest generation of browsers, such as IE 7, Firefox 3, and Safari, provide a far superior internet experience and better security. Supporting the older IE 6 means that we can't take advantage of the latest technologies to optimize user experience and performance of our web apps. It also means that we develop new features and enhancements more slowly.
IE 6 represents a small minority of our visitors, and an even smaller minority of our customers, so we think it's worth asking people to upgrade (for free!) to a modern browser in return for being able to provide all of our customers with the best possible oDesk experience.
What do I need to do?
If you are using IE 7, Firefox 2 or higher, or Safari, then the answer is "nothing". If you're using IE 6 (if you're not sure, check the 'Help' menu and select 'About Internet Explorer'), then take the time to upgrade to Internet Explorer 7, or better yet, Firefox 3. Trust us - your experience will be better all over the web, not just on oDesk!
If you are working with a Buyer or Provider who uses IE 6, please suggest that they upgrade as well. We will be publicizing this change in our buyer and provider newsletters, but people always like advance notice.
Our hope is that this change causes minimal disruption, and enables us to deliver a superior oDesk experience going forward. Thank you for your support!
Michael Levinson
Director of Products
oDesk