The standard is there for a reason – it really does make it easier to write good code, and as an added benefit that code is cross-platform. Sadly, Microsoft has repeatedly flouted the standard to try and increase its own market share(and worse, sites like Ebay have fallen in line with that). It’s a long-standing business practise of theirs
As others have pointed out, this is not a binary option where the choice is IE or everything else.
It is possible to code properly so that standards-compliant browsers can work properly, and also insert code allowing the crappy non-compliant IE to work.
What’s 10%-20% of 1 billion?
That’s the number of folks using non-IE browsers, which means that’s how many people you’re potentially pissing off by developing strictly for IE.
And I’m pleased to say that all the web sites I develop look and work great on all major browsers. Granted, the underlying HTML code is not the most elegant in the world, but as far as my visitors are concerned, they’re getting a happy, non-pissed-off experience, and that’s what I get paid to deliver.
I decided to try Star Wars galaxies again since they made some major changes and they had a 10 day free trial. In the tutorial section of the game they have rooms filled withcritters. Some of the critters image was replaced with a floating box with a question mark on it and “default image” written underneath. I was so disgusted I logged out and removed the game from my pc. I used to pay 15 bucks a month to play. It was nothing like that crappy coding back then.
If I had the opinion that ‘design for IE, it’s the most popular’ then I’d be flunking out of my web design courses right now.
Good designers make an attempt at browser compliancy - and it is ridiculous that they don’t support Safari, it is the default Mac browser! eBay is alienating their entire Mac using audience.
Yeah I can see Joe Website building a site without regards to cross-browser compatibility, and I can even see a client with 50k visitors a day opting out of paying for the extra coding and testing time it takes to totally ensure cross-browser compatibility…
But one of the world’s biggest websites, who has it’s own web development team, who’s entire business IS the site, denying itself revenue from a growing population of customers? That’s just poor business.
I think eBay is getting too big for it’s britches and getting sloppy.
I just want to throw in that I hate eBay with an effing’ passion. They are making an insane bank and yet continue to increase their fees. Their latest trick was forcing everyone that clicks PayPal to accept credit-cards so that they can get their extra 3%. Well fuck you eBay! As soon as Google comes out with a competing service, I’m out like a shot.
Most of the stuff is done client side, so javascript is a huge issue on the ebay site.
Look at the html and you will see that there are many (many) .js files that are used.
I presume it takes pressure of server side so enables better / faster response times.
I agree with you in principal, but unless the *buyers *go somewhere else, eBay has got the sellers by the balls. I’ve registered and tried selling at every auction site there is and there’s just no one bidding, except on eBay.
Well, here’s something strange: A few months ago I switched from IE to Safari, and I’m now having far fewer problems on eBay. Go figure.
This is one of those things that I’m praying Google will be able to figure out. It’s not like people cannot see the insane amount of money that eBay’s making. I just hope that someone else makes a serious effort to get into the business.
Except we’re not talking about ALL non-IE browsers, as evidenced by the fact that Firefox (which AFAIK is #2) works just dandy at eBay. And, so does Apple stuff.
So- what % of users use Safari? 1 %? 1/10th of 1%? 1/100th of 1%? Like I said- I had never even heard of it until this thread. 
3%? :eek: You’re complaining about 3%! :dubious: Look, they have to make their money somehow. All those employees, and the small amounts lost by Paypal through Fraud have to be paid for somehow, you know. Even if Google comes out with a competing service, it won’t be free forever. I know, as there used to be several competitors to Paypal, and some started out free, but either went belly-up or started to charge…then went belly-up. Some disappeared rather mysteriously “in the middle of the nite” if you get my drift. In fact, I won’t use any other on-line payment service now other than Paypal, as I trust it. ( If no Paypal- I’ll send checks, I’ll call direct with a CC, or very reluctantly send a MO.) Paypal is hardly perfect, but so far they havn’t screwed me.
Safari is the default browser that comes with Mac OS X. That’s a small but arguably very influential segment of the market.
I just used TurboLister to upload 8 watches for sale this past weekend, without IE ever sullying my screen. (I also use Firefox)