By Ethiopia Hewitt, Definition 6 Web Production Specialist

Today, there are several popular browsers available. Currently, it is impossible to know which browser a person will use. I know many web designers will concur with the hope that their personal favorite browser will crush the others, but the sometimes aggravating reality is that each browser continues to hold their own loyal fan base - similar to the ongoing war between PC and Mac. However, that conflict doesn’t affect me personally, as I have already chosen my side and pity those on the other. The Browser war is a different story.  As a part of Definition 6 Interactive Media and Web Design family, browser compatibility affects me and our clients every day.

I currently work on enhancements and updates to websites previously completed and launched.  The number one issue that I see is that the site doesn’t look or behave correctly in all browsers. The site looks and functions beautifully in the browser of the original designer’s choice but the others . . .  not so much. It usually requires CSS patchwork skills and (gasp!) a couple of hacks to get the offending page to behave in all browsers. This work can sometimes take hours of work to pinpoint the CSS style that is being interpreted differently and still more time to develop a style that all browsers can agree on.  This then brings up a question:  When is it okay for the site to be different on different browsers?

As the designer, a line, albeit a tenuous one, could be drawn as to what are acceptable browser differences and what are not. For example, if a Javascript powered drop down menu is working only in IE7, the hours needed to make it cross browser compatible, are more than necessary. But if on Firefox 2 there is more space between the lines then on Safari, how much time should be spent to correct it? It becomes the responsibility of the designer to advise the clients to the facts of different browsers and educate them on this blurry line of acceptable and unacceptable different browser interpretations.  

Each release of a new version of a browser leaves the design community  searching for the end of the browser war, but really can it ever end without one browser triumphing over the others and becoming the one and only browser used? And speaking of new versions of browsers, if you are an Internet Explorer user, why not upgrade to the latest version? How is it that IE 6 stays around? Oh well, that is a discussion for another time and place.