Alpha channels and Internet Explorer

[VENGEANCE MX]

Since there are a lot of web design pros on FK, thought I'd ask you guys.

On Myspace, I've customized a lot of elements of my profile with my own pictures, thanks to CSS, but I hate how they don't flow into the background.

Obviously I need an alpha channel if I want my pictures to fade into the background at the edges. My preferred choice of image format when it comes to transparency (actually, anything at all) is .PNG. However, Internet Explorer can't correctly show the alpha channels in PNGs. Not sure about the latest version of IE, but most of the people viewing the page would be using IE 6 anyway.

So, my question is this - what image formats does IE 6 support that have decent alpha channels? I use a Mac, so I have no way of checking myself (we don't get IE 6). I think GIFs can have a 1-bit alpha channel, but I need a bigger one than that.

[renderhjs]

GIF the only one it can display propper,- MS$ never welcomed the PNG format friendly. The IE7 supposed to display them propper.

on a personal note:
mySpace & internetExplorer = the worst internet expierence

[VENGEANCE MX]

Ah, was afraid of that. Guess I might be able to 'dither' a 1-bit alpha channel somehow (you're an artist, any idea how I could do that?) to get a diffusion effect.

Wasn't too sure whether or not to mention that this was for Myspace, since I knew there's a lot of opposition toward it.

I agree, Myspace is pretty bad. I hate how little control you have over it. A proper social networking site would let you personalize your page properly and completely, rather than having a 'hack'-y method of changing stylesheets to have some limited control over your profile. Most people use pre-designed pages that make all the text on the page illegible.

So why do I use it?

To be honest, I prefer the message replies I get on Myspace to the ones I get on MSN. A reply to a Myspace comment is worth twenty IMs in my opinion. People only reply when they're in the mood for it, so you always get more friendly, less rushed chats. It's just so much more amicable to give someone the liberty to choose when they want to reply. If I send a Myspace comment, I know I'll get a reply, and I know it'll be nice, but talking on MSN, people can just be too busy or rude at the time.

[Rhiannonny]

this is quite a good .js hack for displaying .PNGs in IE, i've used it a couple of times and it works well, although not tried it on myspaz - don't know if it lets you put in javascript, but you could always try...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bobosola/index.htm

[VENGEANCE MX]

Thanks for the link.

But sadly, no, can't use JavaScript on Myspace.

[Rhiannonny]

hmmm.... myspaz... I don't know how your design looks, but it's not possible to achieve similar by creating solid images that appear to blend with the background, like a chameleon?! (although difficult as myspace layout is flexible enough that it could stretch enough to go wrong...)

elsewise, there is a CSS attribute for adjusting opacity of a whole div/image, filter:Alpha(opacity=__%); but it only works in IE and not the other browsers, depends how complex your design is as to whether it would work.

Have a trawl through this, you may be able to find something:
http://search.microsoft.com/results....B&q=css+filter
although the few i looked at use javascript again... they are inline scripts tho... don't know if that could make a difference... maybe you can sneak it past the myspace coding...

um... yeh i don't know if that's any help at all, post back if you crack it though, i'm always in need of more transparency solutions!

[renderhjs]

this is quite a good .js hack for displaying .PNGs in IE, ..

rofl makes the IE even more unstable and slow as hell- like I said
IE & mySpace worst internet expierence ever

@VENGEANCE MX: it´s rather a personal thing I just hate such personal websites where comapnies earn to much money with your free effort and valueable personal tracking data (name, social connections, hobbies- lots of privacy,...)- same could be said about facebook and many others

[Rhiannonny]

hmmm... well i never had a problem with it. Works fine for 1 or 2 images on a page.

I'm not arguing with the IE + myspace thing, i don't use IE and don't like myspace either, but doesn't stop hundreds of thousands of other web users using that combination & wanting to be able to do this stuff...