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Despite still accounting for over 20% of the browser market, the end of support for Internet Explorer 6 is nigh as more and more sites refuse to support it.

Google have announced that as of Monday (1^st March) they will no longer support the browser and that will mean that some services like Google Docs will not work properly when people try to access with Internet Explorer 6. They are not the only ones either, YouTube are reported to have pencilled in 13th March for dropping IE6 support, so it really does seem that the last rites are about to be read.

IE6 is an old man in internet terms. Launched in 2001 it became the default browser with Windows XP and is the last version of Internet Explorer available for Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows 2000. The most widely used browser at its peak (nearly 90% in 2002 and 2003) it is fair to say that now, after a lifetime of criticism for security issues and bugs, IE6 is probably no longer fit for purpose for the modern internet.

Despite that opinion is still split as to whether the end of the browser should be mourned or celebrated. Several sites like Bring Down IE6 and IE6 no more have been campaigning for the end of IE6 for some time claiming it has been holding back web development. Earlier this year government departments in France and Germany made announcements suggesting web-users choose alternative browsers to protect security and the Department of Health in the UK advised the NHS to move away from the browser too.

Recent figures suggest Microsoft’s latest release IE8 has overtaken IE6 as the most popular browser in the world but with still over a fifth of internet users relying on IE6, Microsoft has said it will continue to support the browser until 2014.

IE6 was for many current internet fans the browser they learnt to surf on, so inevitably there is sadness from certain quarters. One US web design company is even convening an online funeral on 4^th March to mark IE6’s passing. IE6 Funeral is inviting people to sign up to confirm attendance at the online service and asking for visitors to leave their thoughts on an online book of remembrance.

Yet, whilst the security issues still appear valid, can any but the biggest websites in the world really risk not supporting IE6 and losing potentially 20% of the internet audience?

Let us know your thoughts?

Do you still use IE6?

Will you be continuing IE6 support for any sites you run?

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In days gone by, even the greatest print journalists suffered writer’s block and the same can affect online writers too. Blogger’s block or Blog Fog has been around almost as long as blogging itself. If you’ve installed WordPress or b2evolution via our 1-click option you will know how easy blogging can be, but only if you can find the inspiration to write. We hope these five six tips will help you overcome any Blog Fog.

• Choose the right topic

The key to a good blog is transferring your enthusiasm for a subject to your reader.  If you haven’t yet got a set topic for your blogs, have a think. What is it you like? What gets you excited? Do you have opinions on the subject that you think others might want to read? Is there already somebody blogging about the same? How could you do it differently?

Even if you already have a focused topic for your blog, the odd off-topic post might not be a bad thing. It not only prevents your thoughts from becoming stale, it might also develop some discussion on your blog from others as they learn more about you.

• Change your blogging location

Anybody who remembers weary days of exam revision will know that a change of surroundings or location is often all that is needed to kick-start a tired mind. It can work too with your blog thoughts. New experiences will mean new ideas. Get out and about. If you have a laptop you might even be able to blog live from a coffee shop, shopping centre or somewhere completely different from your usual desk. If not, don’t worry. Carry a notepad with you that you can jot your ideas down in, wherever you are. You won’t use them all but if you ever suffer Blog Fog again they might inspire as you flick through.

• Ask your audience

With any luck you will have others already keeping an eye on your blog. If you get stuck, throw it back to them. What would they like to see? Have your past posts inspired them? Check any past comments others have made on your blogs. Feedback is a great way of getting you to re-think your own approach.

• Check the competition

Many of your audience will probably also have their own blogs on similar topics. Have a look to see what they are blogging. Could you approach it in a different way? Could you do tandem-blog with another blogger – perhaps playing devil’s advocate to each other on a topic?

• Set deadlines

Many find they lose their enthusiasm after the initial few weeks of blogging. Try thinking about writing your blog as any other job. Set yourself a set-time every day or week that you need to have your blog live. It will help focus your mind and develop a stronger sense of urgency to come up with something.

• Enjoy it!

Finally, remember to make it fun and enjoyable – for you, as much as your readers!

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OK, the folks at home, might be looking forward to your Graduation day and a chance for a new hat while boasting to the neighbours about your latest qualification, but the best part of being a student is the freebies!

Sign up for our student hosting offer  – 123-reg Plus hosting at just £1 a month – and you can make the most of your hosting package thanks to a free .info domain name and Microsoft DreamSpark. You’ll get full free download access to Microsoft Developer Software like Windows Server 2008, XNA Game Studio 3.1 and many more for you to learn and put to use on your new hosting package with 123-reg.

You don’t even need to be a University student, all those in full-time education with a .ac.uk email qualify, so what are you waiting for? Click here to find out more and sign up.

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The old-school love nothing better than to write headlines about the dangers of the internet and social media. But now, one of the internet’s own is trying to raise awareness of the potential problems posed by location-aware services like foursquare and Google Buzz.

@pleaserobme from a Dutch team of net-heads is a tongue-in-cheek warning about the danger of letting the public know your current location. As their website http://pleaserobme.com explains, “publicly telling people where you are…leaves one place you’re definitely not… home.”

With your home address perhaps available elsewhere as part of your profile on a social network, you could be inviting those of dubious character to visit your empty home.

We love the possibilities offered by social media but one message is still clear: know exactly what you are signing up to and be careful what information you let out into the public arena.

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A few months ago we added a new feature to our web hosting packages. It’s called One-Click and it allows you to install applications onto your hosting really easily.

The apps you can install allow you do some cool stuff with your hosting. Here are some examples:

• WordPress is an ace blogging system – we use it to run this very blog.
• Joomla and Drupal are content management systems that help you build and manage websites.
• phpBB gives you an online forum that’s ready to go. It’s the web’s most popular forum system.
• Coppermine, an online photo gallery system.

The aim of One-Click is to remove all the hassle of installing these packages. Instead of struggling through lengthy “read me” files to get them configured properly, you can get going fast and try them out. Don’t like the app you’ve installed? Just replace it with another one. You can see the full list of applications on our main website.

In short, One-Click makes it easy to extend your web space and use it in new ways. You’ll have access to it if you have our Plus, Pro or Business Pro Linux packages – read on to find out how to get started with it. Read the rest of this entry »

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Another day, another announcement from Google. Seriously, does a week go by when the search giant doesn’t unleash something new on the world?

This time it’s Google Buzz that’s grabbed the limelight. This is a social networking tool that works from within Google Mail, the company’s free email service. Think of it as a kind of Facebook / Twitter combination that you access from within your email.

How Google Buzz works

Google Buzz lets you post updates containing text, images, videos and links – basically, anything you like. These can be seen by your friends. Similarly, you’ll start to see updates from your friends appearing right in your inbox.

There’s a video up on YouTube which does an excellent job of explaining how it all works, so take a look there for more details.

Buzz promises a lot of flexibility and can automatically pull in updates from other networks, like Twitter and Flickr (though not yet Facebook), so you don’t have to check them all separately. With versions available for several types of mobile phone, Buzz seems to put more of an emphasis on location than other services. Read the rest of this entry »

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You might have seen that we’re running a great deal on hosting for students. You can get our Plus hosting package, a .info domain name and free access to lots of industry-standard Microsoft software for just £1 a month. There’s more information here.

If you know a great deal when you see one but don’t know quite what to do with your student hosting package, here are six ideas:

• Learn about web design and development.
  If you don’t know your HTML from your HTTP, but would like to learn how to create your own websites, why not pick up a For Dummies guide or try some of the tutorials at W3Schools in your spare time. Our student hosting package includes everything you need to put what you learn into practice.
• Build a website for a club or society.
  University clubs and societies thrive on the enthusiasm of the people involved in them. If you’re part of one, could it benefit from a new website? If so, there’s the ideal chance to brush up your design skills and do some good. You might even be able to claim back the cost of the web hosting. Read the rest of this entry »

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Web Design isn’t easy. You’ve got to think about menu structure, page layout, colours, fonts and images.

When setting out each page, you need to sort out where everything goes. Your menu bar, logo, text, products, forms and buttons all need to slot together into a single design. So how can you decide what goes where?

There’s a phrase that’s borrowed from Newspaper publishing that says you must ‘put the gold above the fold’. This means that you need to make sure all the important stuff on your page can be seen without the user having to scroll down.

This includes menu, contact details, headlines, product, but most importantly your ‘call-to-action’ or ‘buy’ button. No matter how long your page, it’s key to include a ‘buy’ button above the fold.

But where exactly is ‘the fold’? People have a whole range of screen sizes and resolutions. Others have installed one, two, and sometimes three different tool bars.  As a consequence, the fold isn’t in the same place for every visitor.

That’s where Google’s new ‘Browser Size Tool’ can help you out. This helps you visualise the areas on the page that most people can see. Marked out as a percentage, it’s possible for you to reposition your ‘call-to-action’ buttons so that as many people as possible can see them.

Here’s what it looks like:

Have a go using the browser size tool and let us know what you find out.

Author: Nick Leech of Euston Digital

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We’d love to be at university. With the combination of cheap beer, late nights, even later mornings and about four hours of lectures a week, we’d … oh hold on, what is this, some cliché-ridden exposé of the student lifestyle?

Sorry, we’ll stop being patronising and get to the point. We’ve got a great hosting deal lined up for students.

It includes decent web hosting, a domain name and access to loads of professional Microsoft software – all for £1 a month.

What’s the offer?

Our special deal gives you a package which includes everything you need to get started on a web project, including:

• 12 months of our Plus hosting package (usually £4.99 a month by itself).
• A .info domain name to use with that hosting package.
• Access to the full versions of industry standard Microsoft software.

See full details now >

All that will cost you just £12, plus the VAT. That’s a total of £14.10 for a year – a total bargain. At full price the hosting would usually be £59.88 alone, and the software would cost thousands to buy outright. Read the rest of this entry »

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