Ending Support for Internet Explorer 7 at the End of the Current Academic Year
categories: Online_Courses
After much analysis of customer data and discussion within the Center, we plan on ending support for the use of Internet Explorer 7 in online courses at the end of the current academic year.
In the first academic term, 16% of all people accessing online courses used Internet Explorer 7. In the second academic term, 15% of all people accessing online courses used Internet Explorer 7. In the third term, that number dropped to 12%. We’ve seen an overall downward trend of people using Internet Explorer and more usage of Firefox and, in particular, Chrome.
Our primary driver for this change is that Internet Explorer 7 does not support the level of technology (JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets, HTML5) that we require in order to add new and highly requested features to online courses. While it is possible that we could spend hundreds upon hundreds of person hours adding in support for Internet Explorer 7 to new course technologies, this is a very expensive proposition on our end and one that pays diminishing returns as Internet Explorer 7 is used by fewer and fewer people and is an increasingly dated technology. Internet Explorer 7 was released on October 18, 2006. Twitter didn’t exist at the time and Facebook opened itself up to anyone (not just those with .edu email addresses) only a few weeks before.
We understand that asking you to upgrade or change your Web browser may be disruptive. However, it's important that you use a Web browser that is modern, security- and standards-compliant, and works within the online course system from JHSPH.
You have a number of options for upgrading or changing your Web browser if you are currently using Internet Explorer 7. These are:
- Internet Explorer 8 or 9
- Firefox 4 or later
- Google Chrome
If you upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 or 9, all of your current Web browser settings, including bookmarks, will be carried over. Firefox and Chrome will also import all of your current settings from Internet Explorer 7. If you are worried about updating Internet Explorer and what that might do to your operating system, you can download and use Firefox or Chrome instead as they will not update your operating system in the same way that Internet Explorer 8 or 9 does.
If you are using a laptop given to you by your employer, you should start a conversation with them now about upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 or 9, or installing Firefox or Chrome. Most employers will allow these upgrades if you ask.
If you have any questions about this change (which, again, does not go into effect until the end of the current academic year in May, 2011), please feel free to contact DEHelp.