Internet Explorer Users...

[Tom]

As some of you know, a couple of years ago, Microsoft lost a lawsuit having to do with patent infringement which involved how ActiveX content is handled on web pages.  Earlier this year, Microsoft updated IE to reflect these changes.  Since I use Firefox and/or Netscape, I didn't pay much attention to these changes...until a few weeks ago.

There are a few pages on this site that DO use embedded ActiveX objects; Adobe (Macromedia) Flash.  (The King's Quest II and King's Quest VI digital soundtrack pages, for example.)  You've probably never noticed it.  Actually, I've forgotten all of the pages that I've used ActiveX content on.   As I come across them, I'm updating the pages with a java sript that corrects ActiveX objects to function properly in IE.

I've only done this so far with the KQ6 digital page, at http://queststudios.com/quest/kq6cd/kq6cd.html.  IE users never saw the "CD-1" and "CD-2" designations, or game section text.  Instead, you only saw white, empty boxes where this text appeared.  

I'll continue updating the pages as I come across them.  IE is the only browser this affects -- as usual.  Get with the program, Micro$oft!!

[Laust]

Why did you use Flash in the first place? as far as I can tell, a static image would have done just as well?

[Tom]

I was learning.  It's was also easier to insert Flash text from within Dreamweaver than creating another image for importing.  But, yeah...either works.  It wasn't an issue until Microsoft infringed on somebody's patent.

[Marten]

I actually side with MS in this case.  The Eolas patent is a farce.  Unfortunately, we are stuck with it as the judge ignored the evidence that the patent should never have been granted.

[Tom]

I'm not familiar with the details -- we just learned about it, recently.  Dianne's been going through several self-training Flash manuals and learning how to work with flash.  We discovered that some of the objects she created weren't working correctly with IE, which is how we learned about Microsofts IE "fix" in version 6.  Users would have to click on an ActiveX object and approve its execution before it would display.  Macromedia (Adobe) provided a patch for Dreamweaver 8 that creates a java script to work-around the IE issue.