I have talked about the need for users to move on from using Internet Explorer 6 as their Internet browser for some time now. I have even used examples from my own website stats that show the browser is still holding onto a large chunk of users.
Sometimes it is not the users fault because their corporation or business has not made the shift, and they should for many reasons, but if your running IE6 on your home system it is time to get upgraded to a more modern browser. I have always said it does not matter to me what modern browser you upgrade to, what ever is your preference than that is fine, just upgrade.
I pulled stats for the last 21 days from WindowsObserver.com and it is shocking to see such high usage for IE6. As you can see in the chart below it is sitting as the third most used IE browser on the site.
So if you’re an IE6 user what can you do? Well Microsoft has launched a website that is intended to help track the demise of Internet Explorer 6 and it has a lot of info about what you can do.
The first suggestion is to get involved. If you run a website you can add a banner that will be displayed to IE6 users encouraging them to upgrade their outdated banner.
The next step is to help educate those who are still using IE6. There is advice here for both why you should move off and those who are stuck due to corporate or business choices.
The final element of the effort is to communicate the need to make the move from IE6. Twitter, Facebook or whatever tool you have to let others know. Use the hashtag #ie6countdown and link to the IE6 Countdown Page to help others learn about this effort.
