Internet dependency
I’ll admit it: I felt a little guilty last month when Microsoft announced the end of the road for Internet Explorer was approaching and that Windows 10 would feature a new-and-improved web browser.
Was there anything I could have done to help save it? Probably. The only time I ever actually used Internet Explorer on my computer was to download Google Chrome, and that was a painful 15 minutes.
And yet, the little blue “e” with the yellow halo stood loyally on my taskbar, poised to take on any challenge my virtual world had to offer — that is, any challenge except loading my email in less than two minutes.
Throughout my time in public school, we were forced to use Internet Explorer, probably because the mission of my high school was to make us as miserable as possible.
But the times I had to use Internet Explorer at school just made me all the more appreciative of the lightning speed I got from Google Chrome and Firefox at home. Internet Explorer made me humble and taught me never to forget where I came from. If I could make it out of high school with an education founded on Internet Explorer, I could conquer the world (thanks to the fantastic Internet service provided by Google Chrome, of course).
There were times I meant to click on another icon but accidentally veered to the right and unknowingly clicked on Internet Explorer. As soon as the screen loaded, seemingly an hour later, my browser was scattered with pop-ups: “Would you like to make Internet Explorer your default browser?” I laughed to myself in these moments, but now I realize how much courage it must have taken the little guy to ask such a bold question. Courage that should have been admired, not ignored.
And on the off chance I didn’t close the browser and actually used it, I felt even more guilty. I felt as though somewhere across the world in some Internet Explorer executive office, some tired employee lifted his head up and opened his eyes excitedly and yelled, “Hey, Jeff! We got a user over here! We’re going to be OK!”
From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry I didn’t try harder. I could have been more patient, more understanding and more sympathetic to your plight. You were a pioneer in the field of Internet service providers, and your journey is one that won’t be soon forgotten. Internet Explorer was a trailblazer, and it paved the yellow brick road of the Internet for us all to follow. Yes, you had your faults, but no browser is perfect.
Well, except for Google Chrome. Google Chrome is as close to perfect as a browser can get.
