Netscape Browser

Since most directories only list web sites that are supported by multiple web browsers, I mainly test in IE and Firefox, since they are used by a lions share of Internet users.

The other day I downloaded the Netscape Browser because a site I was reviewing wasn't supported by my default browser - FireFox. I figured it would be responsible of me to test sites in Netscape. After all, it was at one time the second most popular browser. Although, now I see that Netscape makes up less than half of one percent of all available browsers. In hindsight, it probably wasn't worth the download. The install, by the way, was a bit too spammy for my taste. If for some reason you have to install Netscape, be sure to do a "custom install" and strip out any bundled applications. WARNING: Unnecessary Add-Ons!

Anyway, the site was supported by IE but upon reviewing it in Netscape, I found that there were issues similar to those I saw in FireFox. The tables and text on the site were all over the place - sometimes over-lapping with other content. It looked like a fourth grader's sloppy homework. It kills me to see sites that are only designed for IE. Granted, it makes up for about 70% of Internet users, but why publish a website on the World Wide Web when it alienates the remaining 30%? That being said, I rejected the submission and notified the publisher. Hopefully they will get their act together and conform to more universal standards.

• W3C
• Get Firefox