eli5 Why do some websites work on specific browsers? For example Chrome and not Firefox.
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Years back, websites would work only for Microsoft Internet Explorer and actually refused to work if you didn’t have that. (Fidelity Investments is one that I recall that actually displayed a message that Chrome isn’t supported and refused access).
The reasons are based on compatibility and manpower. Every browser has its own “special” functionality in CSS (for page styling) and Javascript (for interactive behavior). A company may have designed its website to take advantage of these functions that are not available in other browsers. Or they may not be willing to expend the resources to ensure that their website is compatible with all browsers, especially browsers that aren’t widely used.
It isn’t just a matter of a developer doing the work, there are more human resources required for testing and validation, each and every time the website gets an update, and each and every time any of the browsers get an update.
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