I haven't gotten all the way through; just wanted to comment that the formatting on IE doesn't seem to be working quite right. I appear to be losing bits of text beneath pictures.
Can I ask why you still use IE? Is it a work computer?
Yes, it is due to factors beyond my control. I do some daytime Hubski on work, although the amount has reduced drastically as of late. I have also noticed that the "notifications" circle has recently become buggy on IE, I wasn't sure if I had an older version of the browser that was no longer compatible, or what. But it seems I can no longer click my orange dot and see notifications on IE - I go to click the dot and it's not a clickable link.
As a web designer, IE is the bane of my existence. The reason things appear differently in IE is that the code that every other browsers read and render one way, IE chooses to ignore or render a completely different way. IE8 may ignore things that IE9 doesn't and vise versa. Often this means having an entire separate page of code solely dedicated to fixing known issues in IE and unique issues for the site. I know that mk focuses on other issues around the site (one's that happen across the board) rather than attempting to solve IE issues. You say it is out of your control, which I respect, but there are a number of other issues with IE that, if brought to the correct persons attention, may change the browser you're allowed to use. One is big scary security issues and zero day exploits that are found in pretty much every version of IE. Microsoft consistently patches these, but not after they have been discovered and exploited numerous times. The patches are obviously ineffective if you aren't consistently updating your IE. There are a number of scary articles if you google "ie zero day" that you can send over to management. That's how I got to use Chrome.
Honestly, I have no idea. Some blame lazy IT departments. I've heard it carries down from when IE was the only real option. Some, like the president of my company, refuse to acknowledge a changing world and still uses IE8 because he is incapable of adapting to new button placements. Some massive companies have to test everything 1000 ways before doing full rollouts of new software. It really doesn't make much sense to me. The necessary upkeep on my parents computer has diminished significantly since I installed chrome with the WOT extension. Maybe someone else knows. I am not particularly scared about said security issues personally or for my company. But it does make a great excuse with a slew pf reputable sources backing you up. Sensationalist scary press works out for the best sometimes.