In the world we live in today where technology is constantly advancing, something new is always coming out.
Your computer, phone or even TV are usually outdated by the time you get it home and plugged in — as we see in those horrible Best Buy commercials.
 
The same holds true for Web browsers.
 
Browsers like Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari, Windows’ Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are some of the most popular browsers used today.
 
Log on to any desktop on campus, and you’ll see Internet Explorer and Firefox readily available.
 
Which browser reigns supreme is up for debate, but there’s no question about which one is more common.
 
Apple has exploded recently in personal computing market share, but Windows-based platforms still outnumber the competition.
 
The simple reason for this difference is business preference. How many businesses do you see running on Apple’s OS X?
 
Not many.
 
And with every single purchase of a Windows-based platform, a version of Internet Explorer comes pre-installed as the default browser.
 
So many people, whether they know it, are proud (and I use that term loosely) Internet Explorer users.
 
However, back in a magical time known as 2001, Microsoft launched Windows XP — and with it, came Internet Explorer 6.
 
Fast forward to now, and Windows finds IE6 at the top of many websites’ “worst tech products of all time” lists.
 
IE6 is plagued with security issues and lacks support for many modern web standards.
Even as Microsoft releases a new update, the browser remains vulnerable.
 
Although Windows already has IE8 on every computer with Windows 7 — I know, all these numbers don’t match up — some are still clinging to IE6.
 
Despite these outdated users, Windows has launched “The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown” in preparation of its upcoming launch of IE9.
 
“Moving the world off Internet Explorer 6” is the mantra at the top of ie6countdown.com.
 
A colorful chart breaks down each country’s use of the outdated browser, attempting to get worldwide usage down to less than 1 percent by next year.
 
It’s currently at 12 percent, with the most usage coming from China at 34.5 percent.
America’s usage is almost negligible at 2.9 percent.
 
The IE6 countdown website also provides links explaining the benefits of IE8 over IE6.
It isn’t often you see a company devote an entire campaign to get
people to stop using one of its products.
 
The reason for Microsoft’s rally comes after French and German governments openly spoke out against Microsoft and IE6 last year, advising Internet users to find a different way to browse the Web.
 
I guess Microsoft’s logic is to campaign against its own product in an effort to get clients to upgrade (even though they should’ve done that years ago) rather than losing them altogether to the competition.
 
If you’re one of those still using Internet Explorer — whether it’s version 6, 8 or 800 — please stop. Vastly superior alternatives are at your disposal.
 
Google Chrome is easily my favorite browser thanks to its sleek, intuitive user interface and ease of use.
 
But Mozilla Firefox and even (dare I say it) Apple’s Safari are adequate browsing solutions, as well.
 
Then again, anything is better than Internet Explorer.
 
The IE6 Countdown page says it best: “friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer 6.”
Well friend, I’m trying to help you out by saying friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer — at all.
 
Adam Arinder is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
 
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Contact Adam Arinder at
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