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Today at 12:30 PM CST, the "add comment" button stopped working on any Stack Exchange site for Internet Explorer 8. It cites a javascript error.

(Edit: I'm not using Compatibility Mode, and JavaScript is enabled.)

@MartijnPieters - I can only use IE8 at work. It has worked fine until today.

@Bart - Inherently, no, it is not SE/SO's problem, but it depends on whether or not they want to lose a large amount of users for the next couple of years.

@GSerg - What setup are you using? I'm using IE v. 8.0.7601.17514 on Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 64-bit on a Dell Latitude E6420.

Let me make this explicitly clear. The company for which I work, an exceedingly large company with many SE users, does not support any other browser besides IE8. This will not change for the next couple of years.

Error details

SE Comment Error

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    IE8 is no longer being supported. See Which browsers are officially supported? And what else do I need?
    – Martijn Pieters
    Jul 24, 2013 at 17:50
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    What's the error?
    – Adam Lear StaffMod
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:05
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    "The company for which I work, an exceedingly large company with many SE users, does not support any other browser besides IE8. This will not change for the next couple of years." ... that's not really SO/SE's problem, is it?
    – Bart
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:11
  • Test test. Works.
    – GSerg
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:15
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    @Bart depends on how you look at things. If this is true, and, more broadly, if it is the case that there is a statistically significant number of SO/SE users who would normally be using the site under IE8, and as a result of this change will not be using the site (or will not be using it nearly as much) then that might start to be worth considering as an SO/SE problem. I'm not saying that it is that big a deal, but unless we have usage stats indicating that the number of SE IE8 users is too small to worry about, we shouldn't just dismiss it out of hand.
    – Ben Barden
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:23
  • Accodring to this page, about 40% of IE users are still on IE8: w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_explorer.asp
    – Toomai
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:32
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    @Toomai That's not necessarily helpful here, though, because it doesn't mean that 40% of Stack Exchange IE users are on IE8.
    – called2voyage
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:33
  • @Toomai gs.statcounter.com/… would be a better statistic about IE8 in general, but still doesn't say much about the SE users.
    – mpdonadio
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:53
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    Still, it's usually a reasonable assumption that the preferences of a subgroup aren't ridiculously different than those of the whole.
    – Toomai
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:55
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    The devs most likely always work with the dev tools of IE open so small wonder they didn't notice this one. :)
    – Shadow The Spring Wizard
    Jul 24, 2013 at 19:06
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    I see it. will get to it asap. It's true that we don't officially support IE 8, but this is a minor thing.
    – Ben Collins
    Jul 24, 2013 at 19:20

3 Answers 3

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This is fixed in the next build, which should roll out within a few minutes. Sorry 'bout that :-(

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  • Thanks! I appreciate your quick response. I wish I didn't have to use IE, but I do.
    – called2voyage
    Jul 24, 2013 at 19:39
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    I was about to take that, thanks Ben!
    – Sklivvz
    Jul 24, 2013 at 19:57
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    Hi. I suspect that this modification may be something to do with the Pro-forma comments no longer working. Do you have any tips on how I could adapt the script - preferably without using timeouts! I'm in the Tavern (on and off) if you want more info.
    – Benjol
    Jul 25, 2013 at 6:35
  • @Ben, when I say 'this modification' I don't mean the fix for this bug, but whatever else was going on at the time...
    – Benjol
    Jul 25, 2013 at 8:38
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I feel your pain; the local devs would allow console in production code from time to time for some reason.

As a workaround, just bring up the IE dev tools by pressing F12. This will define console and the button will work.

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  • This works in IE9 as well.
    – yoozer8
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:19
  • Thanks, that is a good temporary fix.
    – called2voyage
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:20
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    @called2voyage: FWIW, I wouldn't "accept" this answer, as you're less likely to get the attention of the SE devs.
    – Matt
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:39
  • @Matt Good point. I wish there was some other way I could credit GSerg without making the issue appear closed.
    – called2voyage
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:42
  • @called2voyage: up vote him! regardless, meta rep is worthless :).
    – Matt
    Jul 24, 2013 at 18:50
  • @Matt It's not, how else would I go about seeing deleted stuff!
    – GSerg
    Jul 24, 2013 at 19:19
  • Great workaround!
    – Ben Collins
    Jul 24, 2013 at 20:30
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I'm using IE9 and clicking the "add comment" link on this question does nothing.

Same for answers.

This workaround described in GSerg's answer appears to work to get past the issue.

I've notice this also applies to the "show more comments" link.

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