In the last few weeks two new browsers - Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 - have been released, both promising to change the way users interact with the Web. But for the average financial aid professional, what's the difference? And more importantly, which does the Department of Education support?
To understand the differences between Mozilla's Firefox (Fx) and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), one must understand their ideological disparities. Fx is a truly open-source browser, which means that on a regular basis average, everyday programmers are submitting and altering code to make the browser better; periodically, after enough new code has been introduced and tested, another version of Fx is released. There are also the myriad of extensions (the application add-ons e.g., your weather monitor, iTunes integrated player, etc.) which benefit the user. As of September 2006, Fx held an estimated 12% of the total Web browser market share. Its latest release - Fx 2.0 - has a cleaner interface and several small enhancements including an upgraded security enhancement.
On the other hand, IE is proprietary inside and out - which means that its source code is heavily guarded and solely owned by Microsoft. Microsoft is the only entity that updates IE and releases updated versions. The latest version of IE brings it up to date with many of the features that Fx has had for some time (i.e., tabbed browsing, integrated search options with Google, Wikipedia, and Amazon). IE 7 is also a bit sleeker than its previous version, promises to make the Web more user-friendly, and contains added security.
Which is better? NASFAA has no official position on the matter, I personally prefer Fx for my home use. In the workplace, the decision should be left to each user and their respective IT department. What is important, however, is which browser the Department fully supports for many of its online features. Until October 2006, the latest written statement from the Department was an Electronic Announcement dated January 30, 2004 - prior to the first release of Fx - which states that the most recently supported browsers for FAFSA on the Web, and FAA Access to CPS Online are:
- Netscape Navigator 7.1 (and several older versions)
- Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 (and several older versions)
- AOL 9.0
Netscape Navigator, which at one time held almost 60% of the total Web browsing market, dwindled in usage to almost zero by the late 90s . When the numbers of Netscape users plummeted to just above zero, Netscape opened its source code and gave birth to Fx. In fact, the most recent versions of Netscape Browser are actually built off of Mozilla's Fx .
When asked about support for Fx, the Department said that Fx 1.5 had been tested and approved to work with FAFSA on the Web and FAA Access to CPS Online. It appears that Fx is also able to retrieve all of the resources found on the IFAP and Default Management Web sites. However, the Department notes that Fx has not been tested with the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) or SAIG Enrollment applications.
The good news is that the Department recently released a statement on the FSATech Listserve that it was testing compatibility with its applications and IE7; no word has been released on whether it is doing any such tests with Fx 2.
Web Sites Of Interest
By Justin Draeger
NASFAA Assistant Director for Communications
Posted November 9, 2006 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2006. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited
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