IE 8′s Default Settings Will Comply With Web Standards
March 6th, 2008 admin Posted in Web Browsers | Comments Off
[From Microsoft Says IE 8's Default Settings Will Comply With Web Standards -- Microsoft]The next version of Internet Explorer (IE) will comply with web standards by default. This is a shift, because IE 8′s initial setting was an IE 7 compatibility mode. Web sites that wish to use IE 7 compatible mode will now have to insert a meta tag. (More technical details here)This change in default setting is of enormous importance to web designers, because it can reduce the need to develop an IE specific web design. The new default will encourage the use of web sites based on open standards versus an IE compatibility mode. Microsoft noted that this move should remove any potential legal or regulatory issues.Here is Microsoft’s explanation in a press release.
“Our initial plan had been to use IE7-compatible behavior as the default setting for IE8, to minimize potential impact on the world’s existing Web sites. We have now decided to make our most current standards-based mode the default in IE8.“This is obviously a complex issue, with important considerations on both sides,” Ozzie said. “On one hand, there are literally billions of Web pages designed to render on previous browser versions, including many sites that are no longer actively managed. On the other hand, there is a concrete benefit to Web designers if all vendors give priority to interoperability around commonly accepted standards as they evolve. After weighing these very legitimate concerns, we have decided to give top priority to support for these new Web standards.