Microsoft finally retired its ancient Internet Explorer (IE) web browser for most Windows SKUs just a couple of days ago. The browser won"t receive security updates or support on affected versions of Windows, and Microsoft will slowly redirect all IE usage to Edge over the next few months. Once this transition is complete, Internet Explorer will be disabled for good via a Windows Update.
Given that the first public version of IE was released 27 years ago, this is obviously quite a significant move. However, it seems that the browser holds more meaning to some than others. In fact, a faux gravestone for the browser has gone viral in South Korea. You can see a couple of shots of the monument in this article, courtesy of Reuters.
The gravestone was designed and ordered by South Korean software engineer Jung Ki-young who spent ₩430,000 (~$330) on the project. As can be seen above, it mentions the lifespan of Internet Explorer, which is August 17, 1995 to June 15, 2022, and notes that "He was a good tool to download other browsers."
The gravestone was placed at a cafe run by Jung"s brother in Gyeongju, South Korea, and it quickly went viral both online and offline. A wider shot of the memorial can be seen below:
In a statement to Reuters, Jung noted that:
It was a pain in the ass, but I would call it a love-hate relationship because Explorer itself once dominated an era.
That"s another reason for me to thank the Explorer, it has now allowed me to make a world-class joke. I regret that it"s gone, but won"t miss it. So its retirement, to me, is a good death.
Jung mentioned that even when other browsers were dominating the global market, his customers kept requesting him to make sure that the websites and apps he created for them looked good in Internet Explorer, which makes sense seeing that the browser was also the default option in government environments. A recent report has also claimed that up to 47% of enterprise PCs running Windows 10 could be affected by Internet Explorer"s retirement.
Source and images: Reuters