An unusual confluence of industry trends and regulatory forces means there's a decent chance you'll be prompted to switch or upgrade your web browser in the next few weeks -- especially if you live in Europe or, heaven forbid, still find yourself clinging to Microsoft's aging Internet Explorer 6.

Starting today, Windows users in Europe will be given an opportunity to choose an alternative browser via the long-awaited "ballot screen" that helped settle the Redmond company's European antitrust case. The screen is being delivered to users via Windows' automatic update mechanism. Jack Schofield of the Guardian shows what it looks like -- including some of the lesser-known browsers on the second page of the ballot.

Today is also the day that Google has promised to phase out support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6, which first debuted in conjunction with Windows XP's 2001 launch.

"Many other companies have already stopped supporting older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers," wrote Google in the January blog post announcing the decision. "We’re also going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites. As a result you may find that from March 1 key functionality within these products -- as well as new Docs and Sites features -- won’t work properly in older browsers."

Google's YouTube will make a similar move later this month, prompting IE6 users to upgrade or risk not getting access to new features to be rolled out for the popular video-sharing site, as noted by Ars Technica.

Microsoft has urged users to upgrade to its latest version, Internet Explorer 8, in part because of the security concerns surrounding the older browser. However, as noted this morning by ZDNet's Larry Dignan, some large companies are still using internally it because it's compatible with their browser-based applications.

Others are ready to mark IE6's passing. As reported last week by TechCrunch, a Denver company called Aten Design Group plans to hold a funeral for IE6 this Thursday, and it has set up a special site for the occasion, ie6funeral.com, complete with an obituary for the not-so-beloved web browser.

"Internet Explorer Six, resident of the interwebs for over 8 years, died the morning of March 1, 2010 in Mountain View, California, as a result of a workplace injury sustained at the headquarters of Google, Inc.," it reads. "Internet Explorer Six, known to friends and family as 'IE6,' is survived by son Internet Explorer Seven, and grand-daughter Internet Explorer Eight."

In reality, however, Internet Explorer 6 is not dying so much as it's becoming a zombie. By some measures, IE6 still has upwards of 20 percent market share. On the Internet, as in scary movies, some things can just never be killed.