[thelist] MSN locks out non IE browsers

[Andrew Forsberg]

>if you're going to a party, and the dress code is /*formal*/ - you 
>turn up in shorts, slippers, and a vest

Who told you about that!!?!! ;-)

>Firstly, designing to accomodate other sites ~ no designer loves that, and
>in ms's case, what's the point, when they have other things to take care of.
>The simplest thing to do is design for their own browser.

Not an excuse. If Microsoft don't have the resources, then who could?

Bottom line: this is a business question, not a resource question.

The assumption is (I'm guessing here): lock out non-MS browsers, and 
they'll want the content so badly they'll install a Microsoft 
browser. But who are they pitching this to? (Another guess:) 
inexperienced computer users who weren't aware of this browser 
upgrade guff? How many of these users would put the whole issue into 
the too hard basket?

That's why I called it a 'strange move.' Not a 'stupid move', nor a 
'fascist move', nor a 'money-grubbing monopolist move'. Just strange, 
because there has to be something else to it that I'm missing. And 
the 'designing for multiple browsers is too hard' argument doesn't 
cut it.


-- 
Andrew Forsberg
---
uberNET - http://uber.net.nz/
the pander - http://thepander.co.nz/