Internet Explorer gravestone goes viral in South Korea

SEOUL, June 17 (Reuters) – For Jung Ki-young, a South Korean software program engineer, Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O) determination to retire its Web Explorer net browser marked the top of a quarter-century love-hate relationship with the expertise.

To commemorate its demise, he spent a month and 430,000 gained ($330) designing and ordering a gravestone with Explorer’s “e” brand and the English epitaph: “He was an excellent instrument to obtain different browsers.”

After the memorial went on present at a restaurant run by his brother within the southern metropolis of Gyeongju, a photograph of the tombstone went viral.

Microsoft scaled down help for the as soon as omnipresent Web Explorer on Wednesday after a 27-year run, to concentrate on its quicker browser, Microsoft Edge.

Jung stated the memorial confirmed his blended emotions for the older software program, which had performed such an enormous half in his working life.

“It was a ache within the ass, however I might name it a love-hate relationship as a result of Explorer itself as soon as dominated an period,” he informed Reuters.

He stated he discovered it took him longer to verify his web sites and on-line apps labored with Explorer, than with different browsers.

However his prospects saved asking him to verify their web sites appeared good in Explorer, which remained the default browser in South Korean authorities places of work and plenty of banks for years.

Launched in 1995, Explorer turned the world’s main browser for greater than a decade because it was bundled with Microsoft’s Home windows working system that got here pre-installed in billions of computer systems. learn extra

However it began shedding out to Google’s Chrome within the late 2000s and have become a topic of numerous web memes, with some builders suggesting it was sluggish in contrast with its rivals.

Jung stated he had meant to offer folks fun with the headstone, however was nonetheless shocked about how far the joke went on-line.

“That is one more reason for me to thank the Explorer, it has now allowed me to make a world-class joke,” he stated.

“I remorse that it is gone, however will not miss it. So its retirement, to me, is an efficient demise.”

($1 = 1,292.2600 gained)

Reporting by Minwoo Park and Hyonhee Shin; Enhancing by Andrew Heavens

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.