Ripple CTO David Schwartz recently revived a classic tech community joke with an "ironic roast" of Microsoft Edge. This humorous dig at Edge is deeply rooted in a long-standing internet meme that has evolved over decades, reflecting users' perceptions of Microsoft's web browsers and their struggle for market acceptance.
The Enduring Legacy of Internet Explorer
The origins of this popular jest trace back to Microsoft's predecessor, Internet Explorer (IE). For many years, IE garnered a notorious reputation for being slow, frequently buggy, and prone to security vulnerabilities, particularly infamous versions like IE 6. This led to a widespread, classic internet meme: the only perceived utility of IE was to serve as a tool to download other, more preferred browsers like Chrome or Firefox. This running gag became a staple in tech circles, highlighting IE's struggles to keep pace with evolving web standards and user expectations, ultimately leading to its decline in market dominance.
Edge Steps Into the Meme's Shadow
When Microsoft replaced Internet Explorer with Edge in Windows 10, the company aimed for a faster, more modern browsing experience. Despite its initial improvements and pre-installation on Windows systems, the core spirit of the meme persisted. Users continued the humorous tradition of viewing Edge primarily as the gateway browser used to download their preferred alternatives. Schwartz's recent jab at Edge is a contemporary iteration of this enduring cultural phenomenon, reinforcing the long-standing joke within the tech community that, regardless of its advancements, Microsoft's default browser still struggles to shed its legacy as merely a means to an end for its competitors.
