Rag Times

(via squashed):

Tumblr, is it necessary to rub it in?

(via melanyouth):

That banner is totally irritating, counts as advertising, and yes, ignores the fact that people on work machines have no choice of browser.

Also, by leaving off a newer version of IE it effectively promulgates the notion that your choice of browser says something about who you are—like the car you drive and the cigarettes you smoke—the whole “brand as personality” thing.

And unless you are a web designer wrestling with MS’s non-compliant ways, ‘hating IE’ is basically pathetic.

For one thing, your choice of browser doesn’t matter. To clarify, things like integrity and creativity matter, not the shit you buy or the stupid GUI for your web experience.

For another, anyone who is actually competent doesn’t have problems with malware, no matter what browser they use. And tabbed browsing, last I heard, isn’t doing anything about infant mortality, gay rights, or Sarah Palin; it’s a convenience, not a moral issue.

The more these banners show up, the more employees in Fixed-Browser Organizations will bitch about upgrades, the faster IE6 will be put to a well-deserved grave.

Also, it’s a good (and reasonable) excuse for Tumblr to wash their hands of this awful browser in regards to any new features that may not be compatible.

Finally, by leaving off IE, it’s not that Tumblr is judging you for using the browser (really), but rather, they’re only showing the best three. You’ll notice Opera isn’t on there. Or Konqueror or Flock. Or the latest version of Netscape. If you’re actually offended that Tumblr has left your browser of choice off the list, you might want to Google infant mortality, gay rights, or Sarah Palin for a bit of perspective.