MS U-Turn, IE8 will be standards mode by default

aidan_walsh · 04-03-2008 02:09PM #1

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/03/03/microsoft-s-interoperability-principles-and-ie8.aspx

We’ve decided that IE8 will, by default, interpret web content in the most standards compliant way it can. This decision is a change from what we’ve posted previously.

Why Change?

Microsoft recently published a set of Interoperability Principles. Thinking about IE8’s behavior with these principles in mind, interpreting web content in the most standards compliant way possible is a better thing to do.

We think that acting in accordance with principles is important, and IE8’s default is a demonstration of the interoperability principles in action. While we do not believe any current legal requirements would dictate which rendering mode a browser must use, this step clearly removes this question as a potential legal and regulatory issue. As stated above, we think it’s the better choice.

Good news, IMO. The idea of having to add headers to webpages in order to switch on the standards mode was ludicrous.

squibs · 05-03-2008 10:09AM

More in the reg

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/ie8_web_standards/

It would be so nice to be able to design a site without spending ages getting the css hacks to play nice together. I guess we can stop catering for IE7 pecadillos in about *does the maths* 5 years?

seamus · 05-03-2008 10:40AM

Surely it would make more sense now to add a patch to IE7 that turned on this "compliant" mode by default and "IE7 Mode" only when specified? IE6 is still the dominant MS browser, so most people won't even notice the change.

Hopefully IE8 won't be a huge transition from IE7 (kind of like the change from IE5.5 to IE6), which means that MS can apply backwards patches to IE7 and also encourage people to upgrade. Many people would still be iffy about IE7 because it's quite a different UI to IE6.

CuLT · 05-03-2008 11:05AM

seamus wrote: »

Surely it would make more sense now to add a patch to IE7 that turned on this "compliant" mode by default and "IE7 Mode" only when specified? IE6 is still the dominant MS browser, so most people won't even notice the change.

Hopefully IE8 won't be a huge transition from IE7 (kind of like the change from IE5.5 to IE6), which means that MS can apply backwards patches to IE7 and also encourage people to upgrade. Many people would still be iffy about IE7 because it's quite a different UI to IE6.

God knows what sort of pro-silverlight/anti-flash stuff will be built into IE8.

aidan_walsh · 05-03-2008 07:39PM

seamus wrote: »

Surely it would make more sense now to add a patch to IE7 that turned on this "compliant" mode by default and "IE7 Mode" only when specified? IE6 is still the dominant MS browser, so most people won't even notice the change.

Hopefully IE8 won't be a huge transition from IE7 (kind of like the change from IE5.5 to IE6), which means that MS can apply backwards patches to IE7 and also encourage people to upgrade. Many people would still be iffy about IE7 because it's quite a different UI to IE6.

See for yourself. The first beta is out.

heggie · 05-03-2008 08:20PM

anyone think theres gonna be lots of new business for people fixing non compliant websites?

squibs · 06-03-2008 09:17AM

anyone think theres gonna be lots of new business for people fixing non compliant websites?

There already is a lot of activity in retrofitting compliance for tweaking SEO and for helping clients whos non-IE client base has grown from 0-50+%. I get regular calls to quote for fixing sites that look fine in IE5 but are decidedly.... abstract in modern browsers.

MS U-Turn, IE8 will be standards mode by default

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