Google Ends IE6 Support

Google has announced that they will stop supporting the aging IE6 browser, beginning with Google Docs and Google Sites.

Google writes on their official blog:

Many other companies have already stopped supporting older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers. We’re also going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites. As a result you may find that from March 1 key functionality within these products -- as well as new Docs and Sites features -- won’t work properly in older browsers.

Hopefully more companies will follow suit and eventually IE6 can be totally phased out.

IE6 No More! Popular Web Companies Start Project to Kill IE6

http://mashable.com/2009/08/04/ie6-no-more/

Microsoft IE8 getting automatic rollout

Was slightly happy when I saw this piece of news that IE8 will be automatically pushed to users still running IE6 or IE7 on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008. However, according to Microsoft,

IE8 will not automatically install on machines. Users must opt-in to install IE8. Users will see a Welcome screen that offers choices: Ask later, install now, or don’t install.

Come on Microsoft, I am sure you can do better than that. Just make it mandatory for users to download it as if it's a big security fix. Things won't get better if users can opt out of it.