There’s no debate that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is the dominant Web browser on today’s World Wide Web. These days former browser champ Netscape is widely ignored by surfers and Web developers alike.There’s no debate that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is the dominant Web browser on today’s World Wide Web. These days former browser champ Netscape is widely ignored by surfers and Web developers alike. But Connor Young says that competition is good in the technology industry, and adult Webmasters should do their part to ensure that their Web sites are compatible with both Netscape and Mozilla in addition to Internet Explorer. Find out why being lulled into using proprietary Microsoft extensions on your Web site can cost you up to fifteen percent of your audience while setting the stage for future abuses of power by Microsoft.

I remember back when Netscape was the dominant Web browser on the planet – it wasn’t that long ago. When I first ventured onto the World Wide Web in 1\’\’7, it was commonly reported that more than seventy percent of the Net’s surfers used Netscape’s Navigator as their browser of choice. But in November of 1\’\’7 that dominance was already starting to slip; Wired.com reported that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) browser had managed to secure more than 3\’ percent of the browser market. Today reports vary as to exactly what percentage of the market uses IE, but the evidence seems to indicate IE market share lies somewhere between eighty-five and ninety-five percent. As for Netscape? Last March a news.com article on IE’s dominance stated that Netscape was down to a measly seven percent of the market.

THE QUICK RISE OF INTERNET EXPLORER

An astonishing feat in a short period of time, Microsoft’s rise to fame was accomplished by a combination of factors. First, the IE browser has always been completely free of charge. Second, Microsoft has used its operating system dominance to bundle IE with Windows; almost any new PC bought after 1\’\’7 came equipped with Internet Explorer, while a much smaller percentage included Netscape’s Navigator. Third, Microsoft aggressively pursued distribution deals with the Net’s top Internet service providers and computer manufacturers. Finally, to be fair, Internet Explorer simply grew into a better product than Netscape. While Netscape frustrated loyal users by offering a product that grew less stable and almost unusable following Netscape’s sale to America Online (AOL), Microsoft developed a superior browser in Internet Explorer and users defected by the truckloads from Netscape’s sinking ship.

SOME WORDS OF CAUTION

So why is Microsoft’s browser dominance a problem if IE is a quality product? There are several reasons really, ranging from Microsoft’s less than squeaky-clean business image to their well-documented abuses of power. Then there’s this to consider: would Internet Explorer be the browser that it is today were it not for the fierce competition that Netscape once provided? It’s doubtful – how long did it take Microsoft to develop a reasonably stable operating system for the general public? Some people would argue that they still have not achieved that goal. And let’s not forget how Microsoft is only too happy to steal traffic where possible. Try typing a domain name that doesn’t exist into IE’s URL locator and see where it takes you. In case you didn’t know, “MSN” stands for “Microsoft Network.” And remember last November when Microsoft locked users of non-IE browsers out of its MSNBC news Web site? That’s not a bad joke, Microsoft really did that.

So competition is always a good thing. You may be happy with your Microsoft browser right now, but should that tyrannical company in Seattle really piss you off some day in the future, wouldn’t you like to know that you could take your business to their competitors? And wouldn’t you like to know that there are serious alternatives to IE that will help ensure Microsoft continues to put out a useable browser? So really we all have a stake in this, whether we use IE or something else entirely.

A NEW BROWSER WAR BREWING?

The good news is that for the first time in a while companies are gearing up to challenge Microsoft’s browser dominance. Netscape has suddenly found renewed interest from its parent company AOL Time Warner, and as we speak the company is experimenting with making Netscape the default browser for AOL and CompuServe. AOL has a huge influence on the Internet, so one has to take this news somewhat seriously – even in the face of Netscape’s currently significant stability issues. Yet Netscape isn’t the only alternative browser that’s available these days. Mozilla.org, which is loosely affiliated with Netscape, finally issued a public release of their brand new Mozilla browser – an open-source project that so far is enjoying rave reviews. Opera Software also makes a Web browser that is gaining some support. But with all this good news, you know there has to be some bad news, right?

A PLEA TO WEB DEVELOPERS

In an article for News.com, writer Paul Festa presented a problem which is hindering companies from competing effectively with Microsoft – Web designers are failing to comply with HTML standards, often choosing to use proprietary Microsoft extensions which work only with the IE browser.

Mozilla.org’s Mitchell Baker had this to say about the growing problem: “The market power of IE, gained through illegal use of Microsoft’s monopoly, means that Web developers find it convenient to use IE’s proprietary extensions. We do encourage Web developers to look to Web standards and to move away from proprietary extensions.”

Adult entertainment makes up a significant portion of the World Wide Web. One popular porn site ranks as high as 47th on Alexa.com, so you know that collectively adult Webmasters have a significant amount of influence on the World Wide Web. For that reason it’s important that we spend a little extra time checking our Web sites for cross-browser compatibility. Familiarizing yourself with HTML standards is probably a good idea, but many Webmasters use Web development applications that don’t require them to look at the HTML code itself. That’s where simply checking your Web sites with multiple browsers before publishing it can be extremely useful. Do you have Mozilla and Netscape installed on your computer? If not, there are free downloads and should be considered essential tools for serious Web site developers.

If you find that you’re not especially worried about helping companies like Netscape and Mozilla compete with Microsoft, remember that not being compatible with multiple browsers can cost you up to fifteen percent of your audience. That’s like tossing 15 hits out of ever 100 you receive. With traffic being such a valuable commodity these days, can you really afford not to support Netscape and Mozilla?

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Connor Young is Editor-in-Chief of The ADULTWEBMASTER Magazine.