Why I love Firefox

I haven't ordered anything off the menu at Chili's, outside of the fajita's, in close to a decade.  Believe me, I understand how hard it is to give up something that you love.  The good news for me is that faithfully ordering fajitas has far fewer implications than using Internet Explorer. 

As the Operations Coordinator/Keeper of the Website/Accidental “Techie” at CCDC, I can't even begin to tell you how many headaches Firefox has saved me and how many dollars it has saved CCDC.

The nuts and bolts:

Developing a website is much like living in the Wild West.  There are rules but don't count on them being followed or enforced.  Developing for Internet Explorer often requires extra pieces (or snippets) of code, in order to make your website function properly within the Explorer browser.  I look at these extra pieces of code as bribes; they both involve extra money that no one wants to spend.

Once you have your snippets of code programmed into your site, you often need to tweak them in order to make sure that your site still meets accessibility guidelines as well as ensuring that your site still works with other browsers.  The process of translating Explorer's special code for other browsers and accessibility eats up precious resources.  When the web development budget is already tight (or non-existent) these issues can be a huge obstacle for small organizations.  It delays the progress of the organization and thus the progress of the community it serves.

Does this browser make my graphic look big?

Form follows function.  When we are in the process of developing the CCDC website we don’t just look at security and accessibility.  We are also trying to make visiting our website a pleasant experience for our seeing audience as well.  Each time we publish a new piece of content which contains an image we must review the content in the three major browsers and on both major operating systems (Macintosh and Windows).  Why?  Because content looks different in each browser and on each operating system.  Again, at least in my experience, the browser that causes the most headaches with layout is… you guessed it, Explorer.

To see what I’m talking about, check out our Individual Emergency Preparedness Guide. 

Simply open both Explorer and Firefox and paste the following link into the address bar:
http://www.ccdconline.org/individual-emergency-preparedness-guide

See how the graphics shift around?  I admit the Guide doesn’t look very good in Explorer; however what you see is a result of hours of tweaking for Explorers sake.

So why on earth don’t you simply develop for Explorer?  Why not start there? 

My answer is pure and simple, security.  With the exception of downloading Windows updates and a few other specialized operations, I have banned the use of Internet Explorer in my own home.  I also encourage (nag) all CCDC employees and volunteers to only conduct CCDC business using Firefox.  Explorer has multiple, major, ongoing security issues when it comes to general use.  Don’t believe me?  Just run a Google search.

When accessibility and security are of the utmost concern, why play with fire, or in this case Firefox? (Cheesy pun totally intended – it’s all I got at this point.)  Because Firefox is more stable, has fewer security issues and is far friendlier when developing websites with accessibility as the standard.

We are a small non-profit, dedicated to enforcing the civil rights of People with Disabilities (PWD).  We would prefer to spend our budget and staff time disseminating information and building resources for our community; and not pandering to Explorer's needs.

Please understand this blog isn’t a wholesale thrashing of Microsoft.  In fact I love many of Microsoft’s products.  To date Windows 7 Enterprise is one of the most stable operating systems I have ever worked with.  Love it!

If at the end of the day you simply can’t stand the Firefox interface and you aren’t willing to wade through the numerous issues surrounding the use of Explorer, there are a lot of free and paid alternatives available on the market.  I have listed a few below.

My humblest, upfront apology to the true Technology Aficionados

All of this said, let me calm the hardcore techies out there and save you the time of firing off livid emails, expounding the virtues of Chrome and its marvelous rendering capabilities. (No doubt peppered with cryptic and critical questions about HTML5 and the like, which I honestly can't answer.)  I agree with you!  Chrome is better than Firefox at many things.  The truth is no one browser is great at everything and yes, digging down Firefox is not appropriate for every situation.  Being that this blog is aimed more at the general user (not uber techie) that is a battle I am willing to leave for another day and a different site.

Signing off.  I have a platter of Cadillac style fajitas calling my name.  Oh yeah!  Cha cha cha!

Opera: http://www.opera.com/
Cruz: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cruz/id402357089?mt=12
Chrome:  https://www.google.com/chrome/?hl=en&brand=chmo
Safari: http://www.apple.com/safari/