those sites were written (by lazy idiots)

Many government sites (world wide) work best with only IE.

It is worthwhile to have several different browsers...as Austin noted above.

I would be VERY suspicious of anyplace giving you a pop-up and saying you need to upgrade to 8 through their link.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Multiple browsers - with different IP proxies are helpful for posting to restricted one-time-only polls and surveys - and sometimes the Mudcat when multiple personalities are required.