Optional Chaining, “Modern” Browsers, and a Cautionary Tale
Jim Nielsen recently documented a frustrating debugging session: his mom couldn’t open a website. At first, he assumed the issue couldn’t be browser-related—she wasn’t on Internet Explorer, after all. She had an iPad (Safari) and a Chromebox (Google Chrome), which seemed modern enough.
But after some thought, a site working on some devices but not others pointed squarely at the browser. Checking the Chrome version on his parents’ computer revealed version 76—far behind the “ninety-something” versions available in 2022. He assumed he could just update Chrome.
Turns out, you can’t. The hardware had hit its limit.
“[…] well it can’t be a browser issue. It’s not like my Mom is using Internet Explorer! She has relatively modern tech: an iPad (Safari) and a Chromebox (Google Chrome).”
But the more I thought about it—a website that works on some devices but not on others—the more I realized this had to be a browser issue.
Evergreen browsers have been a huge win for the web, enabling faster evolution and broader adoption of new features. But “evergreen” doesn’t mean “always available.” Eventually, software outlives its hardware.
In this case, Safari updates normally follow system updates, but the first-generation iPad Air was stuck on iOS 12—Apple classifies it as a “vintage” device, so no further updates are possible. Similarly, the Chromebook was locked into Chrome 76, with no path forward.
The culprit? A few optional chaining question marks (?). Those small characters broke the entire site. The lesson holds: serving two bundles—one modern and one legacy—remains a smart strategy.
