Yahoo! introduced the Graded Browser Support grid years ago to give developers a guideline on what browsers deserved the greatest amount of resources for debugging, hacking, and development. This has been well received amongst the developer community as a justification for not dwelling on obscure browsers, such as IE5.5 for mac. This has made our code cleaner and easier to maintain as the browser-specific hacks are no longer needed.
Yahoo just announced the GBS change we’ve all been waiting for. IE6 will be downgraded to a C-status browser in Q1, 2011. This means I can finally upgrade my own laptop to IE8! This means we can focus on building for the future and not the past. Excuse me as I hyperventilate over the joy.
Internet Explorer 6: We are forecasting the transition of Internet Explorer 6 from A-grade to C-grade in the next GBS update. The calculus here is simple: The proliferation of devices and browsers on the leading edge (including mobile) requires an increase in testing and attention. That testing and attention should come from shifting resources away from the trailing edge. By moving IE6 to the C-grade, we ensure a consistent baseline experience for those users while freeing up cycles to invest in richer experiences for millions of users coming to the internet today on modern, capable browsers. Note: This forecast should not be taken as an indication that IE6 users will see an abrupt change in their experience of Yahoo! websites in Q1 2011; the change in philosophy toward IE6 will be reflected in new development and products and applied in ways that make sense based on product needs.
Graded Browser Support Update: Q4 2010 – Eric Miraglia and Matt Sweeney, Yahoo! Developer Network
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