Weird messsage from Foxnews webpage

When I had IE7, I had no problems. Then, sometime in March 2009, I was asked to "improve" IE by downloading and using IE8. What a nightmare! I suddenly got all kinds of "page errors ", "done, but with errors on page" and a lot of yellow exclamation triangles on the lower left corner of the screen. Also, the performance degraded badly. And the worst thing was, they wouldn't even allow me to uninstall the browser. So in June 2009, the release candidate for Firefox 3.5 came out, I gave it a try. My performance returned instantly, even better than IE7. I never looked back. You may want to consider the same.

 

I would suggest you've got other problems than IE8. First, IE8 can be uninstalled. I've done it when I *thought* I had a problem.
You might want to go to Tools and click on the Compatibility Settings for the fix in IE8.

I've got Firefox, but like Opera far better. But IE8 is superior again for me - no problems and works fast.

 

Previous comments that you should be waiting for the javascript to be updated was wrong-headed thinking.

To clarify: the javascript that is being blamed for this situation is only present in the first place because IE version 6 and below could not properly handle PNG files with transparency. Microsoft has not corrected this fault and is showing no signs of doing so.

Since the fault is in IE not being standards compliant, Firefox, Opera or Safari or any other standards compliant browser are a better bet. You are unlikely to encounter said problem. In that regard I endorse comments from catilley1092. Others too find Firefox (and similar) give a more secure and more enjoyable browsing experience.

 

Actually Openmind, this problem started because of a fault with Foxnews, and nought to do with IE8. When Firefox fixed their site, the thrilling problem disappeared.

IE8 is actually the better bet, even moreso than Opera. I have encountered sites that simply do not work so well, especially with Firefox and do operate flawlessly with IE8.

Opera in my judgment supersedes Firefox and I like especially their *immediate pageflip* that none of the others will copy. Their stubborness will not allow them to do so.

 

I wonder if there is a grain a fuddled thinking still on this issue. LumberGumRubber, one of your own earlier posts mentioned the site worked on one Microsoft Vista machine with IE8 at the same time that it did not work on your Vista/IE8 combo. That seems like strong evidence there was probably never anything wrong with the Fox News site (other than it being Fox).

Other posts seem to have experienced the same random disappearance of the problem. But can any of you be sure it was a "fix" by Fox rather than some quirk of either the Microsoft O/S or the Microsoft browser being used by people, and that it was that "quirk" that was fixed by say, some Microsoft patch.

As a web developer, I am very familiar with the extent to which patches and outright hacks have to be included in the program code to stand a half way decent chance of your site looking the same in IE compared to the other major browsers. And different fixes are required for each new release of IE. I spend a disproportionate amount of time when developing any new site getting IE to "play ball ". PNG transparency is but one small example of this difficulty and in common with pretty much any web developer in today's' world, we are none too fond of IE.

You mention sites that work "flawlessly with IE8" but not with Firefox. Such things are indeed out there but that is likely the legacy of people having written those sites when IE was king. Now that Firefox and its fellow browsers have over a third of the global browser market share (and growing), no sensible web developer would write "just for IE" any more.

All that aside, there remain several reasons why you would be better off not using IE. If not Firefox with its rich array of add-ons then stay with your preferred Opera. It is a way better choice than IE. But that's the key: it is your choice. And at least we all have a choice of browser these days - courtesy of the astounding success of other browsers, principally Firefox.

 

Openmind, at least you're being fair. You ask the question if any of us can be sure if it was Foxnews or Microsoft. Being a novice, I sure cannot. I had previously at least thought it more to be, but as you say, another laptop here had no problem with it. You being a pro are sure to be more clued into this stuff than I, which is obvious.

As to the share of browsers, whether Opera or Firefox etc, IE8 still holds the bag no doubt. But I cannot intelligently debate whether Opera / Firefox / Safari or IE8 is the better. One pro insist IE8 is, and then another as yourself will say no.

So yes, it boils down to the user which one is better for him or herself. I have Opera, Firefox and IE8 on this system. Who knows, I might wake up and get my senses about me and be a Firefox user.

I appreciate your expertise on this. Stay around! I'm sure we all can use your furthered helps!

 

Ok - here's the thrilling thing with Firefox. When I go to this site -
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568483,00.html?test=latestnews

I get jumbled up words in two sentence directly under the photograph.
I get this explanation from the Firefox Forum -

https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/260741

While Firefox will not display this article correctly, I do notice that somehow IE8 does.
Is there anyone out there (including you Openmind) that has an explanation for this and better - a fix?

 

As is often said in Parliament, "I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous answer ". Pretty much as has been said, it's a tricky world writing sites that look the same or similar in all modern browsers. From this example it seems that the authors of Fox's web site have a bias towards writing their code for IE browsers with insufficient regard to standards compliant ones. IE has its own ways of rendering text. This matters for other browsers the more confined the area (as is the case with the available beneath a picture on their news items) in which that text is to appear.

You asked for an explanation: there you have it. Microsoft writes software according to its own unique rules thus causing problems for everyone else.

You also asked for a fix. There are two I can think of:

1. Persuade Fox to write their web sites according to modern standards.
2. Use another news website to keep abreast of the news and avoid Fox News.

There are a couple of very sound reasons for adopting option 2 anyway. Fox describes itself as fair and balanced. They are anything but and are notoriously unfair and lacking in balance.

More powerfully, Fox, a large, bullying multinational, is a threat to the essential freedoms of the internet. Fox believes that content should be paid for and that the web should operate on a pay for access basis. The more you pay, the more and faster your access. This is a serious, pernicious threat that we should all be concerned about.

In my book that is enough reason to avoid Fox, let alone their highly biased nature.

But back to the origin of your latest post about supposed flaws in Firefox. The culprit is widely known and understood to be a long legacy of bad software from Microsoft. They are certainly not flaws with Firefox. But differences do exist between different browsers so why go looking for these kind of problems and then ask for or seek "explanations or fixes "?

You know differences exist and you know why they exist. Settle on the browser of your choice and stop looking for "faults" that you will inevitably find. Save yourself the grief and just enjoy your surfing.

Regards

 

Yes O Openminded - thank you ever so much for your more than gracious reply now. I shall get right on to persuading Fox news to getting up to standards. Stay tuned to a computer just near yourself to see the exciting results unfold before your eyes.

Now you must be very careful in your assumptions. You accuse me of "looking for these kinds of problems and asking for explanations or fixes?" Really, who gave you this information? Was not my question an honest one? According to your judgment, it is not.

Allow me to drop a little flea right into your left ear! My question was and still is an honest one. I do not nor did I previously, go about looking for "these problems!" I found it and came aboard this forum to see if there was a particular setting in Firefox to correct it.

And your implication (to put it mildly) that it is wrong or deceitful to ask for explanations or fixes really puts "you" in a strange light.

So asking an honest question, instead, I get this one who has a too high opinion of himself (that would be you) and begins to make "off the wall" accusations.

It's your type that discourages some I'm sure to post or ask questions on forums like this. If I were you, I'd take a step down from your high horse (or donkey or whatever it is you drive) and let someone else do the explaning.

What you supposedly know is marred by your diplomatic skills, which would be that of a Bengal tiger.

Never kinder words have been spoken ............