So Long IE (or the end of an Era)

As Google can confirm, it seems IE is reverting to the platform-centric browser it has really always been. I consider this a very good sign, with a two-fold message.

One message to all web-users that could serve as a wakeup call. Your browser is an application in your operating system. It can be chosen in an active and educated choice. Alternatives should be evaluated. Just as you may spend up to several hours choosing your shoes, maybe you should just take a few minutes to look around and see what your options are when it comes to browsers. My guess is IE would not be the result of an educated choice for most users.

However, there is also a message for web-designers around the globe. Internet does NOT equal web, and web does NOT equal Internet Explorer. The web is a networked community set by rules and convention. Remember the board of the web is the surprisingly unknown World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C. A web-site is a site that actually follows the conventions of the world-wide-web, as defined by W3C. The fact that a garble of code similar to HTML works in your "Internet Explorer" does NOT make it a website. If you take any kind of pride in your work, take an hour and go through the automated and free validation check offered by W3C. Then skim trough the page in at least some decently W3C-compliant cross-platform browser and check that things work the way you intended them to. Then and only then feel free to call it web.

Please take these simple message and get a clue about what the web is really about.