Microsoft does not easily allow multiple versions of Internet Explorer to run simultaneously on Windows, but it is possible with Manfred Staudinger’s work around. I have been using that solution for years now, but recently came across a resource that makes running them side by side a little easier.

My first impression is that the installation process is smooth and quick, even though some of the older versions do not run as well as they should. But that is fine because these days there’s little point in supporting IE3 still (other than to check whether it degrades gracefully).

For instructions on manual installation, and some background information, check out Manfred Staudinger’s article on Postiton is Everything.

Why can’t the creators of operating systems get it right when it comes to this very elementary piece of code? The basics should be quite simple. Let’s start with a comprehensive set of standard fields. This way users can add a 2nd/3rd phone number, additional email address, URIs, and so forth. Additionally users should be able to create custom fields for all their non-standard needs.

A limited list of some of the most basic requirements could look like this:

• standards based
• provide two interfaces (one simple, one advanced)
• mulitple entity types (does an address belong to an organisation or a person?)
• allow persons to be part of an organisational structure
• allow persons to be part of groups (even multiple groups)
• allow different address formats to deal with the different ways addresses are formatted around the world (this would be easily accomplished with XML schemas)
• (optionally) force users to adher to strict address formatting (again, easily accomplished with XML schemas)
• active/inactive status (friends we have not seen for years/businesses we are no longer using
• in addition to a date of birth, provide a field for “date of death” (we all die; does this mean that we are to be “deleted” from address books? of course not, at the most we should be “deactivated” so our beloved ones can still remember us)
• support LDAP protocol
• integrate with online services such as Google, MSN, Yahoo, Plaxo

Standards are of benefit to both users and vendors alike: they’re made to last, giving both users and developers peace of mind that they are not locked into one particular format. Users can depend on powerful software that integrates easily regardless of which OS, or software applications they use. Vendors may benefit from being able to build even further (online) integration and enhancements to this standards based software.

And yes, I am aware of the fact that both WAB and Address Book use the V-Card standard. But that is a grossly inadequate standard. Similar to shoppinglists that only fit 5 items (need more? better have a good memory!).

So what did I end up using? A web address book that runs on my local web server. It contains most of the features I need right now. I can export my data to WAB and Address Book (although a minor tweak was required to make the “date of birth” compatible with Apple’s Address Book).

Perhaps I should be dusting off my own XML based address book, using “my own standards.” It allows easy export to just about any format by using XML/XSL.