I saw several blog post tonight discussing the continual decline of Internet Explorer. IE finally dropped under 50% for the month of September. (Techcrunch)(Mashable)

Just under 50% use IE the most non-compliant insecure browser available. But largely that group does not know better or has no choice. You know the folks who refer to their desktop IE icon as “the Internet.”  The ones who call you, their tech savvy friend or relative, and say, “I started up my computer and the Internet was gone.”  Someone call the FBI and put out a “Red Alert”: the Internet is missing.

In late 2010 I cannot imagine using IE6. As a web developer IE causes more day to day problems than I can count.  I do not code for IE6.  IE7 and IE8 are headaches in their own right.  I spent this summer in the redesign of a website and 99% of the compatibility problems where related to IE.

But, my primary browser is still Firefox.   Yes I know Chrome is fast.  Yes I know Chrome has addons.   Yes I know Chrome is closing on all the other browsers like a freight train.  It’s latest percentage share finds it at 11.54%.

Firefox simply has the set of addons I require on a day to day basis.  Firebug (not Firebug Lite)(DL) is still Firefox only.  I can not function on a daily basis without it.   Tab Mix Plus another add-on allows me to control tab behavior and how links open up.  I have used it for years.  I must have it.

So, I am early adopter no more but a relic, a fossil limping along in Firefox.  But for now functionality is king.

By the way if someone finds “the Internet” let me know.