Ode to Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser

                 In English language, nexus is a connection, tie or link. Etymologically, it is from Latin – bind.  For children, a decade ago  – Nexus reminded  the professional wrestling stable in WWE that competed on its Raw brand and originally consisted of eight rookies of NXT season 1 headed by Wade Barret. 

For every information that we think of, or want to know - we browse the internet through a web browser – a  software application  which retrieves, presents and transmits information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content.  The primary purpose of a web browser is to access the WWW.

There are very many web browsers [don’t confuse with search engines] and most popular amongst them would be :  world wide web (1991); Mosaic (1993); Netscape Navigator (1994);  Internet Explorer (1995);  Mozilla Navigator (2002); Safari (2003); Mozilla Firefox (2004) and Google Chrome (2008)

The first of the above -  WorldWideWeb was  later renamed to Nexus to avoid confusion between the software and the World Wide Web.  It was the  first web browser and the only gateway to web at that time.  Internet Explorer commonly known as IE is a Microsoft product, included as a part of the MS Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995.. .. and sadly, would be no more in an year !

Before proceeding further, answer whether it was by choice that you use the browser ?  do you have multi browsers on your desktop and task bar ?  OR  -  has your Office limited your options by providing only one – say Internet Explorer  ??? or Google Chrome !

Microsoft is putting the final nail in the coffin of Internet Explorer, revealing that the legacy web browser will retire for good in summer next year. The tech giant has gradually shifted away from the aging software after some 25 years on the scene, starting afresh with the new Edge browser in 2015 to coincide with the launch of Windows 10. Support for the final version, Internet Explorer 11, has been maintained, even though most people have already moved elsewhere. By ending support, this means important security updates and bug fixes will no longer be rolled out. The web browser will be officially retired on June 15 2022, Microsoft said.

In a blog post, Sean Lyndersay, partner group program manager for Microsoft Edge, explained: 'Over the last year, you may have noticed our movement away from Internet Explorer (IE) support, such as an announcement of the end of IE support by Microsoft 365 online services. 'Today, we are at the next stage of that journey: we are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge.  'Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.'

 

The firm had already paved the way for Internet Explorer’s demise, ending support for it in the Microsoft Teams web app last year and with plans to do the same via Microsoft 365 services soon. Thankfully, Edge offers an IE mode for people to view dated websites that may not load properly on modern web browsers. Mr Lyndersay added: 'Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.

The news has come as a disappointment to many millennials who grew up using the Internet Explorer web browser. On Twitter, one user wrote: 'Why is this what makes me a twinge sad? Of all things too, never even used internet explorer.'  And one joked: 'Internet Explorer retiring? I'm sad. How will I download Chrome now?'

Internet Explorer, which was first called Windows Internet Explorer, was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 in 1995. Internet Explorer was one of the most widely used web browsers, attaining a peak of about 95 per cent during 2002 and 2003. However, it struggled in the face of competition, and in May 2012 it was announced that Google's Chrome overtook Internet Explorer as the most used browser worldwide. The brand has struggled to shake off the bad reputation of Internet Explorer 6, which was notoriously insecure. After Internet Explorer 6 was released in 2001, the browser hit its first real speed bump in its digital life. An alert from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team warned users in 2004 that holes in Internet Explorer could lead to their passwords and other personal information falling into the hands of hackers.

Dying  web utilities are not new though .. !  - Yahoo! Messenger was originally launched under the name Yahoo! Pager on March 9, 1998. In addition to instant messaging features similar to those offered by ICQ, it also offered more features.     On April 12, 2016, Yahoo announced that the messenger would support six non-English languages to bridge the language gap and create personalised experiences for its users. Yahoo Messenger that time  supported Hindi (on Android devices only), Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Indonesian.. .. and then came the news that  Yahoo Messenger will no longer be supported after July 17, 2018.

Interesting – you can browse more on this on Internet Explorer

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
20^th May 2021.