Some people may say that Google's push for users of its applications, such as Gmail, to stop using IE6 is a way for Google to promote Chrome. I see it differently. After working at an online media consulting business like Stormfront, it's obvious that IE6 has been obsolete for quite a while. Introduced in 2001, and mind you, Microsoft is now on IE8, IE6 requires upkeep on our end. Designers and programmers of our sites often get calls that the site they had just built "doesn't work" or "doesn't look right."
Aside from not working with many websites, IE6 has major security issues. According to Wikipedia (hey, it's how I got through college), "As of January 10, 2009, security advisory site Secunia reports 142 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 6, 22 of which are unpatched, some of which are rated moderately critical in severity." My question to you, why would you want to work with anything that has THAT many vulnerabilities? The way IE6 works is like locking your house, but giving a cat burglar the key too. It operates on the access level of the user, not the lowest access level like some later browsers. This means that if you are the computer administrator, malware has the same level of access. You can fix this by adjusting your settings, but it is not by default, and many users don't know about it.
Instead of making a lengthy rebuild that is compatible with IE6, consumers of websites should just upgrade! If you enjoy what Internet Explorer has to offer, stick with it, but upgrade to IE7 or IE8. If you never liked Internet Explorer, try Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Firefox is freeware that can be easily customized with downloadable add-ons to suit your own tastes and browsing styles. Google Chrome is also freeware. It's all about the user these days. Choose what browser suits your needs. But for us, the lovable nerds who build your websites, recommend that you please stop using IE6.