Upgrading Browser Support from Yahoo to Google
At Large Blue, we often deferred the question of which browsers a website should support to Yahoo’s list of A-Grade Browsers. Now though, it’s time to switch to mirror Google’s strategy of supporting the two most recent versions of every browser.
Deferring to Yahoo’s list of A-Grade Browsers made a lot of sense. It delegated the research to Yahoo and came with a stamp of authority. I can’t remember a single client querying the decision (once they knew what it meant).
However, it’s now time to move on. In today’s cross-platform web and mobile world, the number of browsers is ballooning. As jQuery Mobile’s docs put it:
In mobile development there are more engines, on more platforms, and with more active versions of the browsers.
(As Tav pointed out to me when discussing browser support for the Togethr platform), Google’s strategy is to track fewer versions:
Beginning August 1st [2011], we’ll support the current and prior major release of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version is released, we’ll begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.
For web developers, mirroring Google has all of the advantages of deferring to Yahoo and a significant advantage. You’re still validated by and deferring to a respected external authority. In addition, you’re also supporting fewer browser versions.
This allows you to support more browsers, which reflects the diversification of platforms across web and mobile.
