MSDN hates Firefox

Microsoft, a company that proclaims to be devoted to web standards, has updated parts of their MSDN Library VBScript Language Reference. They’ve hidden the most valuable details of each funtion behind some pointless click-to-expand links. Apart from being a usability blunder, Microsoft once again fails to prove that they care for or have even heard of standards or other browsers than Internet Explorer.

Here’s my Firebug log from simply opening the reference page for the DateAdd function.

The MSDN site is now worthless in Firefox since the expand details links does not work. I for one cannot be told what the arguments mean, since this is what my Firebug log tells me when I click the link:

Microsoft, I can’t wait until I no longer have to developer using your shoddy products. It looks like you don’t want me around, anyways. Whatever happened to Developers, developers, developers or was that just Ballmer blowing smoke as usual?

Comments and Trackbacks

Back when I was doing a lot of VBScript work (at Microsoft, no less), there was not one revision to the online docs that I found more useful or usable than the version being replaced.

If you really need to do a lot of VBScript stuff still, ditch MSDN and get this:
VBscript in a Nutshell

Since I switched to Mac I never touch anything by microsoft, so I really dont care. But I agree with you, their total lack of support for standards, not only webstandards - it seems they prefer their closed stuff in numerous other situations aswell - is problematic for their users, but I think mostly for themselves. I think in the end its Microsoft themselves who will loose.

In my opinion microsoft follows standard. And firefox doesnot. Firefox when some complex javascript is used.

That’s an interesting statement, Abdullah. Any chance you have some examples or other material to back that up?

Oh no! I use both browsers on a regular basis, but I have had my MSDN bookmark in firefox since it loads the menu 10 secs faster than ie. I guess that is no longer an option. :(
I’m beginning to suspect they might be doing these things on purpose..

Does the original MSDN still exist unmolested somewhere? I’d rather just bookmark to the original and go there. MSDN2 is impossible to read and navigate using Firefox, and I can’t stand switching back and forth between browsers.

Plus, it’s just a little aggravating that only the MS browser can handle the MSDN. C’mon, most non-MS-Fanboys switched away from IE a long time ago. I know, since I was pretty much the last one to do it…