"I use Internet explorer. Whats the big deal?"

If you have nerd friends, you've probably heard that you should switch to firefox. Maybe they've even explained to you all the great things about firefox that you're missing out on, but when it comes down to it, if you're just here to get your email and watch funny videos, you don't need all those super sexy features. Security and viruses aren't important words to you. I understand. Let me tell you why you should switch anyway.

Using Internet Explorer makes the world a worse place.

Have you ever said to yourself, "If every one would just hang up their cell phones and drive, the world would be a better place." or how about "If everyone recycled, he'd have a healthier planet." There are lots of ways the world could be a better place if everyone would take a few small steps to help out.

Not using Internet Explorer is one of those small and easy ways you can help make the world a better place! For instance, did you know that hackers are using armies of zombie computers to extort money from internet business owners? It sounds like crazy talk, but its true! These computers are owned by people like you and me, but don't even know they're being used for illegal activity. The primary way these computers are infected and taken over is spyware which Internet Explorer can be tricked into installing without even telling you! Thats right - your computer may already be hypnotized into committing crimes, and it was Internet Explorer that left the door open!

Internet Explorer doesn't care about blind people.

Disabled people have a difficult time doing things we able people take for granted. That's why we have ramps leading into shopping areas, and extra wide bathroom stalls. In an effort to make the internet friendlier to people with special needs, a standard of accessibility was devised that acts as a ramp to the internet. Internet Explorer decided to implement this standard in a wonky backward way, making it difficult for web nerds like me to follow it. It can be so frustrating at times, there is a constant temptation to throw your hands up and say "to hell with blind people!" Which leads me to the next reason...

Using Internet Explorer is rude

I am willing to bet there have been a dozen times at work where you were pulling out your hair because of some stupid rule which made no sense. Someone just decided it should be this way or that without regard to how it would effect you. They aren't a bad person, in fact, they'd probably do it another way if they knew how it made you feel. The problem is that it just didn't occur to them, or they didn't know. This is how Internet Explorer makes web nerds feel. We'd like to just ignore it and do things in a logical manner, but we can't. There are way too many of you using Internet Explorer. There are fewer and fewer of you all the time, but still too many.

We forgive you. I mean, it came with windows and it seems to work alright. Why switch if it isn't broken? What we web nerds desperately want you to know is that it IS broken. Every time we make something, we have to make it twice - once for all the browsers that work, and then again for Internet Explorer. Every time we put the final bit of polish on a project, there is that moment of panic when we realize we haven't checked how it will look in Internet Explorer. That cold numb feeling usually turns into 3 hours of more work spent turning clean and elegant work into a bird nest which will make Internet Explorer happy.

Install firefox now because deep down, you are really a good person.

If you need help, ask one of your nerd friends. I promise they will be so proud of you, they will be happy to help.