Important Internet Explorer update and how it may effect your site.


	5-12-06 Important IE Update: Metis Creative is making its clients aware of a new Microsoft Internet Explorer update which has altered the way certain technologies (content) reacts on a web page. This update has affected every web site in the world that would be viewed using IE6x. Why do I see a message prompting me to “click to activate and use this control” when I roll my mouse over a Flash animation? Why do I have to click twice on some links? This is a result of the latest Internet Explorer update. Microsoft recently lost a legal battle with a patent holder about the way Internet Explorer displays OBJECTs and EMBEDs in webpages. Microsoft then decided to update its Internet Explorer browser with changes requiring user input to display and activate ActiveX based media. Basically they are playing the bully, and unfortunately, we are stuck in the middle. This affects all Flash animations but also other files such as QuickTime, RealPlayer, Java and Adobe Acrobat among others. It means users have to click the object first in order to activate its functions. Here are some links to information on their respective web sites: Microsoft: For an introduction to the user experience with the new updates: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/techinfo/activexupdate.mspx Technical aspects of Active X Controls: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/ dhtml/overview/activating_activex.asp Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/activecontent/articles/devletter.html Solutions to the problem Do Nothing: All of these items still work properly, they just have to be clicked twice. Wait: It is always possible that if Microsoft keeps getting the horrendous feedback it is, they will come to their senses and find a solution. Use Firefox: it is not affected by this issue, but there would still be visitors to your site using IE (about 87% of them). http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Complete Revamp of Site: For sites containing any of the above elements you could do a complete rebuild and remove all use of Adobe, Flash, etc. But what would your site look like then? And at what cost? JavaScript Work Around: This is what I would consider the best alternative and is the most cost effective. Basically there would need to be an external JavaScript file and a short snippet of code has to be placed in a specific location on every page that is affected by the IE update. Other More Complex Fixes: There are other more complex fixes for very large dynamic sites but that doesn’t fit the context of this page. If anyone is looking for information pertaining to that I will point you in the right direction. What About Users Who Have JavaScript Turned Off? A small percentage of visitors to your site may have disabled JavaScript in their browsers. The technique suggested above will not work for these few users—they won't see your embedded content at all. One thing to keep in mind is that many or most IE users who have disabled JavaScript may have also disabled ActiveX support. However, users who have disabled ActiveX have not been seeing Flash and Shockwave content displayed in the browsers. The migration to JavaScript techniques for embedded content doesn't alter or affect their experience. You only need to be concerned about users who have disabled JavaScript, but have ActiveX enabled. In Conclusion*, Metis can “fix” the problem with a relatively easy workaround. It would require creating the file mentioned above and embedding the JavaScript on all affected pages. Approximate time to make the changes is 10 min. per page probably less once the script is setup on the server. As always please feel free to call with any questions you may have or to schedule a time for us to update your site. Thank you for your time, Jonathan B. O’Donnell Questions? Please contact us or give us a call: 888-534-2662 (Toll Free)

5-12-06 Important IE Update:

Metis Creative is making its clients aware of a new Microsoft Internet Explorer update which has altered the way certain technologies (content) reacts on a web page. This update has affected every web site in the world that would be viewed using IE6x.

Why do I see a message prompting me to “click to activate and use this control” when I roll my mouse over a Flash animation?

Why do I have to click twice on some links?

This is a result of the latest Internet Explorer update.

Microsoft recently lost a legal battle with a patent holder about the way Internet Explorer displays OBJECTs and EMBEDs in webpages. Microsoft then decided to update its Internet Explorer browser with changes requiring user input to display and activate ActiveX based media.

Basically they are playing the bully, and unfortunately, we are stuck in the middle.

This affects all Flash animations but also other files such as QuickTime, RealPlayer, Java and Adobe Acrobat among others. It means users have to click the object first in order to activate its functions.

Here are some links to information on their respective web sites:

Microsoft:

For an introduction to the user experience with the new updates: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/techinfo/activexupdate.mspx

Technical aspects of Active X Controls: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/
dhtml/overview/activating_activex.asp

Adobe:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/activecontent/articles/devletter.html

Solutions to the problem

Do Nothing: All of these items still work properly, they just have to be clicked twice.

Wait: It is always possible that if Microsoft keeps getting the horrendous feedback it is, they will come to their senses and find a solution.

Use Firefox: it is not affected by this issue, but there would still be visitors to your site using IE (about 87% of them). http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

Complete Revamp of Site: For sites containing any of the above elements you could do a complete rebuild and remove all use of Adobe, Flash, etc. But what would your site look like then? And at what cost?

*JavaScript Work Around: This is what I would consider the best alternative and is the most cost effective. Basically there would need to be an external JavaScript file and a short snippet of code has to be placed in a specific location on every page that is affected by the IE update.

Other More Complex Fixes: There are other more complex fixes for very large dynamic sites but that doesn’t fit the context of this page. If anyone is looking for information pertaining to that I will point you in the right direction.

What About Users Who Have JavaScript Turned Off?

A small percentage of visitors to your site may have disabled JavaScript in their browsers. The technique suggested above will not work for these few users—they won't see your embedded content at all. One thing to keep in mind is that many or most IE users who have disabled JavaScript may have also disabled ActiveX support. However, users who have disabled ActiveX have not been seeing Flash and Shockwave content displayed in the browsers. The migration to JavaScript techniques for embedded content doesn't alter or affect their experience. You only need to be concerned about users who have disabled JavaScript, but have ActiveX enabled.

In Conclusion,

Metis can “fix” the problem with a relatively easy workaround. It would require creating the file mentioned above and embedding the JavaScript on all affected pages. Approximate time to make the changes is 10 min. per page probably less once the script is setup on the server.

As always please feel free to call with any questions you may have or to schedule a time for us to update your site.

Thank you for your time,

Jonathan B. O’Donnell

Questions? Please contact us or give us a call: 888-534-2662 (Toll Free)