It’s a minor miracle: I managed to get through this morning’s two minutes silence without someone phoning me.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. Internet Explorer 6 is quite possibly the worst bit of software I have ever encountered.

The thing is, from the front end it’s not really too bad. OK, so it’s looking a bit dated, but as far as the user can see, it renders web pages without complaint, it’s not too slow, it’s got a fairly easy to use bookmarks system. It’s simple. We can’t get people to upgrade because (as far as they know) it does the job perfectly well. They simply don’t know that they can do so much better.

From the other end though – the point of view of the developer – it’s a complete nightmare. I’ve sure already covered the myriad ways in which the HTML, CSS and caching parts of the engine are fundamentally broken. Now, it seems, the Javsacript engine is completely borked aswell. I won’t go into the details (I’ll only end up getting angry and dumping a truckload of slurry on Micorsoft’s doorstep), but suffice to say that it runs like a dog on IE6, though every other browser executes it like it’s Thrust SSC on speed. Great. Some resources to help if you’ve in a similar situation:

• Optimizing JavaScript for Execution Speed
• A compendium of JavaScript optimization techniques
• Javascript Closures
• JavaScript Memory Leaks
• PPK on Javascript memory leaks
• DHTML leaks … not so much, actually
• Fixing JavaScript memory leaks for good.
• BeeByte’s JS Links

Someone remind me, just how did IE6 get through Microsoft’s quality control program? Roll on IE7, I say.

Been a while hasn’t it? Lazy bullet-point post:

• The garage got broken into. We lost a load of bike bits (Azonic Saber, Coyote XC-2 and GT LTS3 frames, Manitou Dorado and Marzocchi Z5 forks, a Hope E4 brake and various other bits), a load of power tools and some other miscellanea. Bastards.
• We had a party, which was blinking ace. The fireworks were comical, especially the ones Brett launched at 3am. I went to bed at 4:30 and it continued for another hour and a half.
• Today Raj told me that he’s scared of fireworks.
• We took the DH bikes to Cwncarn for the day again. Absolutely fantastic fun, up until my front brake died – right at the end of the final run of the day. Lucky lucky boy.
• We went karting at JDR Gloucester. Bonkers fun. Charlie is far too good at it. Lord Everitt has an interesting overtaking style that involves knocking opponents off the track in whatever manner he can. G-Dog has too, but he’s a bit more discreet about it.

And thats all I can be arsed with now. Laters.