IE7 Beta 7 released!



  • Sometimes you have to wonder about people.  I support a website and recently found that the website doesn't work for IE7 when left at its default settings.  Since IE7 is still in BETA, I didn't really care.  I figured I'd just post a simple little message that told them to enable DHTML scriptlets if they were using IE7 Beta 2, and the website would work for them.  I planned to look more into it when IE7 came closer to NON-BETA.  Of course, since I wasn't about to install a BETA product on one of my regular computers--I had no idea how to reconfigure IE7.  Besides, it's in BETA, so it's not my problem, anyhow.  Microsoft even warns that you're on your own if you install it.

    Nevertheless, I got this e-mail from an angry user (of what, I don't know):

     

    I saw your message warning of the partial compatibility with IE7 Beta 2. I wanted to let you know that this problem remains in the current beta release of IE7 - beta 7.

    The problem I'M having is that I can't find any mention of DHTML scripting in the program configuration windows or the included help files. You know about the problem, so how about letting us all know exactly where and how to get around it?



  • Easy response

    "Fuck off"

    Somewhat more length response

    "You're running beta software that we don't support.  Fuck off"

    Simon



  • Sorry, folks. My response would be a little different.



    The original message should simply be "We don't support IE7", instead of offering some advice that may have no basis in reality.



    That you refer to a setting (that may or may not exist) in a program that you refuse to run will certainly confuse users.



  • @ohng69 said:

    Sorry, folks. My response would be a little different.

    The original message should simply be "We don't support IE7", instead of offering some advice that may have no basis in reality.

    That you refer to a setting (that may or may not exist) in a program that you refuse to run will certainly confuse users.

    The scriptlet setting does exist--it's in the inetcpl.cpl file that it gets changed, and I have gained info from other, more intelligent users, that this is the setting that fixes my website.

    I did add text to the message that essentially said "F*** ***", but in gentler terms.



  • Oh.

    Beta 7 already?

    Wow.

    They skipped 3, 4, 5 and 6?

    Just like Winamp skipped 4. :)


    Feature, did you put the info on where to enable scriptlets in your message?



  • @dhromed said:


    Feature, did you put the info on where to enable scriptlets in your message?

    You kidding?  -->INMP  ("It's not my problem")

    WTF is a user--not even a developer--doing installing a BETA product anyhow?  Serves 'em right.



  • "Of course, since I wasn't about to install a BETA product on one of my regular computers--I had no idea how to reconfigure IE7."



    My apologies. I must have misread something somewhere.



  • >>You kidding?  -->INMP  ("It's not my problem")
    >>WTF is a user--not even a developer--doing
    >> installing a BETA product anyhow?  Serves 'em right.

    wouldave been nice, you know.

    pfft

    sulk

    >>WTF is a user--not even a developer--doing
    >> installing a BETA product anyhow?

    Because it's meant to be used?
    Haven't you ever installed a beta of some application you are 'just' a user of?

    I agree with not supporting the beta, by the way. You can't reasonably be expected to do that.



  • This sort of complaint can be stopped before it starts, depending on how you word your message.

    "X will work if you do Y" = you present the appearance of knowing X well = user berates you for failing to share the full measure of your extensive knowledge

    "I think X will work if you do Y" = on the up side, you don't appear to know too much about X; on the down side... you don't appear to know too much about X

    "X should work if you do Y, but X is beta so we can't guarantee or assist further" = probably a good balance

    Bonus points for "X should work if you do Y (here's how it worked in B2)", if you have a scratch machine and some time to play around with B2 on it



  • Lots of programs skip version numbers.  Like Slackware (3 -> 7), or (coughcough) the HTML to PHP converter. ;)



  • Lesson learned--no good deed ever goes unpunished.

     

    I just had a user call in our support department with this:

     

    member having an error message coming up on {our website} using scriptlet in the error message

    Huh?

    The only place on our website that the word "scriptlet" exists is in that little message that warns them about IE7 breaking the site (in other words, there is no such error message about "scriptlets").  I recommended they might find the scriptlets in the candy department of the grocery store.  Anyway, I figured that using the color red to highlight the message for the users is what confused this particular user--they must associate "red" with "error" (kind of like how Pavlov's dog associates a bell ringing with food?)  So the text is now purple.  They keep it up, and I'll make it as painful on their eyes as I can come up with. [6]



  • @sir.steve.h said:

    Lots of programs skip version numbers.  Like Slackware (3 -> 7), or (coughcough) the HTML to PHP converter. ;)

    IE7 doesn't though, there is no IE7b7, the closer that could come to it is IE7 Preview MIX06 update, (or build 5335.5), and it's still IE7b2.

    I don't know of many softwares which skip revision/build/beta versions either, main versions for marketting purposes (Netscape or Slackware) maybe, revision or beta versions not really.


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