“What are we gonna use now to download other browsers?” — Netizens pay their last respects in the wake of Internet Explorer’s retirement

In the wake (no pun intended) of Internet Explorer’s retirement announcement, netizens are paying their last respects in the form of memes and jokes on the news.

After nearly 27 years since it was launched in 1995, the desktop application Internet Explorer is going to be laid to rest. Microsoft announced its plans to retire the veteran web browser last year, saying that Internet Explorer 11 would be the last version to be created.

It is survived by Microsoft Edge, which Microsoft loyalists may still use. Though web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple’s Safari are dominating the web searching app world, it’s noteworthy that less than 10 years time after its launch, it attracted 95% of the market.

The online page SGAG shared a meme of the event on Wednesday (June 15), with the caption “(Not gonna lie), might actually miss it.” It also gave credit to the meme’s creator, “@/xibang.”

The meme depicted the Grim Reaper ready to accept Internet Explorer’s imaginary soul. “It is time to go,” it said, to which the app responded, “Was I a good browser?”

The Grim Reaper simply answers, “No.”

The poor web browsing application is left in regret, saying “Oh.”

However, in contrast to the Grim Reaper, a handful of online users left farewell messages in the comments section of the post, with some expressing nostalgia and others feigning disappointment.

While many paid their respects to the veteran web browser, with some even defending its capabilities and pioneer work, others paid tribute to the fact that it was a door opener for many looking to download other web browsers.

As one user pointed out, “Who said it was not a good browser? It was the only browser which we used to download other browsers.”