cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/47871545

🌐 Many companies now block older browser versions from accessing their websites!

This follows many browser makers ending updates 4 older operating systems, leaving legacy devices unable to use web services without an OS upgrade.

This kinda reminds me of the Java website block by browsers a few years ago, just in reverse. (Revenge? ;)

Old Android versions are also increasingly blocked from accessing the Google appstore.

Truly about security or perhaps Planned Obsolescence?

Update: “old devices can only use old os > old os can only use old browser > old browser cannot use web> poor uneducated people = screwed once again!”

“Only suggesting corporate browsers, kinda like an ad.”

  • python
    11·
    22 days ago

    I don’t think it’s entirely nefarious. I work as a web developer and new browser versions bring new features. I’d like to use those new features at some point without worrying about having to support super old browsers. An example would be the introduction of the OKLCH color system. That system is so much nicer than rgb as it allows calculating very accessible colors, but the whole system was only invented around 2020 and widely supported since 2023, so now’s about the time that devs are starting to use it without feeling too bad about older browsers.
    Or Javascript’s new Object.groupBy function!! It’s so neat! But it was only widely adapted in 2024 so I’m not using it in production yet.