Browser headaches — includes survey!
In the last post I described installing Parallels and running Windows on the Mac as an overall positive experience. Regular readers will know that I avoid using Internet Explorer if at all possible, but with a new install that’s all you’ve got, and the first thing I use it for is going to Mozilla to download Firefox. Yesterday I happened to see this site in IE, however, and I was surprised to find the entire sidebar missing.
I looked around for it, though, and finally found it hiding down at the bottom of the page. This is not the first time I’ve had issues with IE accepting the rickety hand-coding of the site. So I started tweaking the code to see if I could make the sidebar return to its rightful place, and in the process I began looking at it in various browsers. I even downloaded Internet Explorer for Mac — which seems like the worst kind of oxymoron to me, but anything in the name of research. Running that (version 5.2, which is the most recent version available for Mac) I was even more annoyed to see that not only is the sidebar hanging off the bottom of the page, but the header photo doesn’t load. Here’s the site in Firefox, as it is meant to appear:
Compare that with IE 5.2 for Mac:
Notice the subtle differences?
A few small adjustments to the stylesheet returned the sidebar in IE 6.0 for Windows, but not in IE 5.2 for Mac. Things appear normal in all browsers I am able to use except this one. While I work on this, I am very keen to know what you, dear reader, do or do not see. I’d really appreciate it if you could please take a minute to leave a comment indicating:
- What browser (IE, FF, Safari, Opera) you’re using
- On what platform (Windows 9X, XP, Vista, OS X, etc) you’re using it
- Where the sidebar is (as shown in the upper picture, or way down at the bottom?)
- Does a header photo load, or is the top of the page all white space?
Many thanks in advance.
Win XP, IE, looks fine (sidebars and header image present and correct). But I do seem to remember at some point in the past that the sidebar was way down at the bottom, after the posts.
Ok now though.
Comment by simon — Friday 12 January 07 @ 11.58 MST+2.00
i’m here in japan just now, using firefox 2.0.0.1 on a macbook, macos x 10.4.8 and the page looks as it should, per your ff example. ie for mac is just too too painful, imho. i don’t know of anyone who uses it. heck, i don’t really know of anyone of any intelligence who uses anything but firefox. not to say that i don’t know people who use ie, but note the qualifier. regards, and keep up the good work.
Comment by dave cunningham — Friday 12 January 07 @ 13.12 MST+2.00
xp + firefox. all appears as it should.
Comment by kilowatthour — Friday 12 January 07 @ 14.17 MST+2.00
Firefox all the way, both on Windows and my “antique” clamshell iBook (orange, from 2000). Man, that must chafe your khakis to be so seriously misrepresented.
Comment by juliloquy — Friday 12 January 07 @ 14.22 MST+2.00
Thanks all. It’s appearing that the problem is limited to IE 5 on Mac, and if that’s the case I can live with such a small amount of khaki-chafe. Everyone knows that only a felon would run IE on a Mac.
Comment by sgazzetti — Friday 12 January 07 @ 14.37 MST+2.00
1. Firefox 2.0
2. OS X (10.4.8 to be precise)
3 & 4. Everything is where it should be.
Comment by Jagosaurus — Friday 12 January 07 @ 14.39 MST+2.00
You’re just baiting me, aren’t you, you minx. Until we get settled into our house and I get my personal computer set up again, I view you on IE, Windows XP, and it looks pretty much as it should–sidebar is up at the side, header photo is there. I have occasionally had the sidebar come all the way at the bottom, but I don’t know why because I don’t change browsers or anything. And the header photo is always there.
But, just now as I’m writing this, the page has turned green. Seriously green. St. Pat’s is a long ways off yet, brother.
Comment by jdog — Saturday 13 January 07 @ 04.17 MST+2.00
Safari – OSX – All good.
Comment by Tuuli — Saturday 13 January 07 @ 12.23 MST+2.00
We used to have problems w/ loading in IE on OS9 (?)-also clamshell albeit “blueberry” -sidebars would be gray, like a halftone, or sometimes blank. I think you witnessed this on our old, sadly departed laptop and were infuriated. It also took forever for photos to load and sometimes they didn’t.
Now w/ Safari in OSX all is ok.
I assume.
Oh well I guess you won’t have time for this sort of dicking around anymore anyway. (CONGRATULATIONS! and much love)
Comment by gaoo — Sunday 14 January 07 @ 12.19 MST+2.00
In response to you entry:
1. Firefox
2. Windows XP Home Edition, I’d rather be using linux, but I’m far more comfortable with Windows, having used it since near the end if Windows 3.1
3. no sidebar, see #1
4. It looks just like you say it ought to.
Comment by Istarian — Friday 26 January 07 @ 15.22 MST+2.00