Comments on: Microsoft sponsored site “Carbon Grove” forces users to use Internet Explorer

By: Janiebabes

Janiebabes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:22:55 +0000

I think if I were forced to use Exploder to view sites, I’d employ a fairly standard carbon emissions reduction – and switch off the machine.

By: Al

Al — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:07:21 +0000

That’s evil, trying to force kids (or adults) to use IE 7! I refuse to use that.
And it’s a really stupid site anyway (a bunch of idiotic “carbon reducing” tips). On Firefox 3 on Mac OS X Tiger, I changed my user agent, and it ran fine. Why the heck are they doing that? If somebody’s already using Windows and Internet Explorer, why would they bother advertising them on the side? They should only care about people who AREN’T using that already!
I just wasn’t able to access the part of the site which uses Silverlight… Microsoft decided not to make it compatible with Firefox 3, I guess.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:29:59 +0000

@rożen: How many sites do you think Mozilla actually ’sponsored’, knowing that the site was blocking out people using browsers other than their own? I never actually seen one site that did that, and it was that ‘anti-microsoft’ one, but Mozilla never sponsored them, and why in the world would anyone go to it?
@directimpact: Wow.

By: directimpact

directimpact — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:36:22 +0000

some of the firefox fanboys method of forcing users to use firefox is some of the most retarded things i’ve seen…like those java popup promts on each page… fking morrons fanboys are specially when they don’t see all the flaws in what they support.

Anyway I’m not fan firefox or opera and even less ie7 and ie8 what all those browser have in common is they are made for nubs.. at a base level..really poor features and funcionality barely anything for the power users. For firefox you have a bit of hope with some good addons although most plugin developers still often don’t have a clue, but at least they try somewhat.. the IE engine has the Maxthon browser which at least in Maxthon classic the developers were way on the ball compared to all the other browsers in putting together a powerful browser that doesn’t need a ton of addons to get any decent functionality.

Overal I don’t really see to much wrong in this site its only promotional thing its not like anyone would go there for information on anything.. the only sin is that Silverlight is still shit compared to Flash overal and they are limiting the number of users that could see the site.. when it would potentially work.. perhaps not for firefox 3 users as again sliverlight is crap and doesn’t support that, but other than that it does work so I dunno why… might aswel let other browser users come in and see the IE logo splattered around the page, i mean you see that all the time with shitfox users websites.

By: Ducky

Ducky — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:04:52 +0000

@rożen, Firefox-only sites aren’t great either, but honestly, Firefox-forcing is FAR more justified than IE-forcing. Plus, it doesn’t matter so much if some kid blocks his site off to IE. Microsoft is a corporation, and it’s sponsoring this. There’s a big difference when a company officially stands behind this kind of a message.

And it doesn’t matter if some marketing drone authorized this. Microsoft as a company is sponsoring this, so Microsoft as a company is at fault.

By: rożen

rożen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:33:31 +0000

> It’s just not a good way to get people to explore IE7 / IE8

I guess it was a good way to get people to switch to Firefox, huh? Looks like the shoe is on the other foot now

By: Arian Xhezairi

Arian Xhezairi — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:42:10 +0000

@Long Zheng,
seems like we’ve met yesterday on one of my dreams for I was kinda going to blog for the same site, but how unfortunate for me being in military with a so censored time. Good shot anyways.

Eventually, all the various ways Microsoft is trying to force users use IE and it’s other products I valuate as immature and mean, eventhough they never worry about using whatever procedures just to achieve what they want and how they want it to be.
IE (the way I see it as a web developer) is a product which Microsoft should feel embarrassed about and ashamed, they simply don’t and that is weird though.
Shame on you Microsoft.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:08:50 +0000

Even though I support Microsoft’s efforts I think I will have to agree here. Someone internally made a bad decision. Hopefully it was minority of people or a single person who made a bad decision instead of a unanimous decision.

By: Long Zheng

Long Zheng — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:30:09 +0000

@deXter: Did you try to load the Silverlight application?

By: Shanen

Shanen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:01:32 +0000

I talked with someone on the IE development team. They build the product, not the marketing materials. There’s a marketing team behind this effort. Surprised?