On Spread Firefox appeared a well written community post from rabrog, which touches the topic of spreading Firefox with consideration for the others.

Consideration is Extremely Important
I normally don't get too involved in public debates, no matter what the debate is about. I'd rather go about and do what needs to be done then spend hours debating an issue. Oftentimes, debates on personal issues come down to personal opinions. I believe that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, whether I agree with it or not, and that we should not try to force our opinions on others. Attempting to force an opinion on someone more often than not solidifies the other person's opinion against what you are trying to convince them of, especially when debate becomes heated. As we go about our task to spread the Fox, I've seen behaviors from Firefox evangelists that are detrimental to our cause.

Blog Comments
Commenting on blogs that support IE is a great idea, as long as we who support Firefox do so in a civil and polite manner. Commenting on those blogs in an inconsiderate or hostile manner will likely only cement the opinions of IE supporters that Firefox is a second-rate product. On the other hand, if the supporter is someone who supports IE just because it comes bundled with an operating system, is supported by a commercial vendor, is unaware of the value of features like tabbed browsing, or is genuinely misinformed, our constructive comments could help educate the blogger and maybe make a convert to Firefox. If we act like school children when we comment on their blog, we may permanently loose that potential convert and any other potential converts who read the blog but are turned off by our comments.

Blocking Web Pages to IE Users
There are some web pages that are blocked to IE users. This tactic is immature and backfires. Rather than blocking a web page to an IE user outright, use the opportunity to educate the IE user on the merits of Firefox, before allowing them to proceed to your web page. If you web page doesn't properly display in IE, let them know, tell them how to get Firefox, and what they are missing on your site if they don't get the fox.

And In Return...
In return for our courtesy, we should expect the same from the IE community. We need to politely ask them to allow our browser of choice to access their sites. Believe it or not, it does work, especially since Firefox works. But, if we don't ask, or don't ask politely, nothing will be done about it.

More information

• rabrog's blog
• Comments (Spread Firefox)