I use Google Chrome and I have for many years. But that's only because anyone and everyone on the internet says STAY AWAY FROM INTERNET EXPLORER HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and I'm just wondering why? If it's so bad, why is it the default browser for Microsoft Windows, the most powerful computer company in the world?

Why makes Internet explorer a bad browser? Why is Chrome or Firefox better? Specifically? Because the new IE looks pretty awesome (the one designed for Win8) and I can't really see anything wrong with it. So what gives?

The latest version of Internet Explorer isn't really that bad. It has grown into a good(ish) browser. But for speed and performance, as well as extensions, Firefox and Chrome is still way ahead.

It's the worst thing ever. If you ever use it, you would see....

It's slow and I believe it is easier to exploit, at least it was at one point because it was so popular.

Here is 12 reasons. http://blogs.computerworld.com/18552/12_reasons_not_to_use_internet_explorer_ever

IE10 works fine for me and a lot of people are happy with IE. It is not a bad browser just .... not very exciting and is the "in thing" to make fun of it and run it down.

I switch between IE and Firefox. Some of the web sties and web portals I go to work with one or the other browser.

I prefer Firefox because it is easy to disable ads and scripts, but IE does have a better integration into Windows.

I thought the whole IE is bad thing was because it was a security breech waiting to happen.

cos of the 'click' sound coming from speakers every time you click something.

I used to dread having to write a whole bunch of css exceptions so that web pages would render properly in IE: most other browsers were happy with the stuff I wrote in the first place, but IE always needed its own special version which took pretty much as long again to work on. That and its legendary security issues ensured it wasn't my favourite browser.

I think a lot of the ire dates from the time of IE6, though, which really was pretty abysmal in every respect.

This.

I always wondered the same as OP cause I'd never been given a good reason to download Firefox aside from a couple of advisories that security was a little better on it. Aside from that, the hate seems exaggerated and the trendy thing to do, since I sincerely doubt the hate for it is warranted as that would imply IE is having it's security breeched 24/7 round the clock, which if that were the case, it wouldn't exist anymore. My understanding has always been it has sub-par security, but not that it's abysmal or terrible or a sin against humanity.

Of all the things to get emotionally invested in, an internet browser would be the last for me.

The text editor wars used to be quite vicious. I think mainly because vi is so much better than emacs.

If all the cool people say that IE is bad, then it must be bad!

Neglecting certain (otherwise more or less general) web standards, so the developer have to spend his precious time to make sure his work IE-compatible is totally enough to earn my hatred. Plus security issues gained serious notoriety for IE too.

If you think popular equals greatness in general, I'm afraid you're going to face countless disappointments in your life.

I use IE simply because I have Windows 8. It works well for me.

Internet Explorer pretty much became useless on my computer, it won't even boot up or work properly anymore so I just use Google Chrome.

I just haven't bothered changing.

ActiveX makes it inherently more of a security risk than other browsers. ActiveX gives IE direct low-level system access. Under normal circumstances it's protected, but unsigned ActiveX exploits are found now and then.

Historically (literally as recent as pre-IE9) IE has been a bane for web developers due to proprietary, counterintuitive, and poor standards handling/interpretations/support. Heck, even now generally speaking IE is the slowest of the browsers to adopt new standards that Microsoft doesn't have a vested interest in.

If you do much web development, it makes perfect sense to have an invested interest in web browsers as browsers that follow standardized rules are easier to develop.