PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Internet Explorer users are dumber, study shows

I always seem to be a little more than late to the party, but when Tabs in browsers came out, I didn't use them because I was stubburn and wanted them to do exactly what I wanted them to do.

Well I just turned them on a couple of days ago, they are so cool. I bounce back and forth now all the time. I used to have like 3-4 browsers open at once. What a dope.

Ignorance is bliss, but finding out that something works for you is better.
Wayne,

Just for giggles, I thought that I would wade into this nonsense and point out that the only thing remarkable about this “research” is how flawed the entire process was. I could write an entire paper on the lack of scientific method that led to the conclusions drawn by these faux researchers, but I’ll limit my remarks to a just a couple of blatant problems with this report.

If you follow back to the primary source of the information, you will find that it is not a legitimate peer reviewed research paper, but an online paper http://www.aptiquant.com/IQ-Browser-AptiQuant-2011.pdf published without outside review or comment by a company that hopes to make money from the results of this research by advising software developers. The researchers themselves are therefore not unbiased although there is nothing particular that would make them biased for or against MS products.

The MAJOR problem with this research is their (incorrect) ASSUMPTION that the average person who took the online IQ test had decision making power over which browser they would use on the computer that they used to take the test. (I won’t even go into the opinion that most professionals have about the validity of online IQ tests). Here is the problem with that assumption. The vast majority of personal computers sold (79%) are owned by companies, not individuals. During any given day, the average business computer is turned on and connected to the internet for far more hours than a privately owned computer. Assuming a normally employed population, the vast majority of people would have taken the test from their work computers, not their home computers.


Now, the issue becomes who decides what browser is used on the average business computer. I can give you some insight into what happens at my company which has over 450 desktop computers and another 100 or so tablets or laptops. We, like many companies only allow IT administrators to install software on all company computers and that includes the operating system, browsers, and all other software. The choice of browser in our company is driven by about 6 major browser based applications and the software developers of those applications specify to us not only which browser they will support but also the version. Not one of the six supports a browser other than IE. One of the most recent letters that I received from Garrison Enterprises, which provides our inspection and permitting software and database specified that they would support only 2 specific versions of IE for the upcoming year and the MIS department decided that they would go with version 7. So, no matter what the IQ of the user, any of the 550 computers used at our company is going to have IE 7 on it with no ability on their part to change that , and the same kind of decisions are made everywhere for the same reasons, pointing to the basic problem with the assumptions of this “research”.

I agree with what you said completely. Every business here in Upstae NY where I stilluses Windows XP and IE7.
Even our NY State Library system uses the same. The Police Dept and the State Troopers. Every major business which includes Amphenol Aerospace and Mead-The paper products manufactuers. All the same.

I keep waiting for any of them to change not just the browser, but upgrade from XP. I asked the Library and the police, who I know, in a good way, not the bad way, and they all have no plans to change anything.

I almost forgot, the school system too. The Middle school students used to use Macs, but they got rid of them and switched to PCs now for years.

Wayne,

KeithS - you got it right:
Elaborate hoax...

78% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

--Mac

Yes it is cool. I stayed away from it since it came out which has been years. I'm using IE8, (I no) I can click a button up there and get what it says is quick tabs, it shows at least 6 open, I haven't tried more yet.
But like you, I have a 22" monitor but I can't see them either anymore with these old eyes. I can make out what they are though. They're pretty clear. Both our computers have the same Acer Monitors, but hers has a VGA port and this one is a Nvidia something. Much sharper with graphics and super clear with text.

When my wife and I got 22" monitors we thought how cool, because we use the PC for all our entertainment. We got rid of cable over 5 years ago. And it's great, the DVDs are razor sharp and we stream in HD, But, here's the kicker. Little did we realize that by upping the resolution to HD for PC stuff make the type or text got real tiny. We have the resolution set lower than the suggested and I keep the browser at %125. Otherwise I can't read a thing.

This doesn't change any of the video quality. That stays whatever it is. DVD is super clear and HD streaming is HD. Plus one time when my wife went away for awhile I hooked up both 22" monitors to the Nvidia card. It has 2 DVI outs. I think they're called DVI. They aren't the vga. It was awesome. It was like having a 3-4 foot monitor. You just drag a window over to the right screen and open something else in the left one. I would play a movie on the left and be on the internet on the right. Like having two PCs. I felt like a wizard.

But yes, the tabs are great. I feel so stupid that I never bothered with them. In 2 days I can't live without then. There's only so many browers I can open till my PC throws a tantrum. Now I just open one.

I'm going to see how many I can open. Oh I forgot the Portrait made. Looks very cool, but too narrow for most things and too long for the rest. But it's cool.

I love computers. Man I am a dweeb.....lol
Wayne,

OK, I've been opening up tab after tab, I'm up to 16. I have the feeling this could go on a long time. I'm getting tired of picking out sites. It never fills up. It just reformats a little and fits more in. It's insane.
I feel like a kid
Wayne,

OK, I got up to 25 and things got a little too slow so I closed them all and reopend the 3 I use. Pretty cool. Of course I could make out the little windows, good thing you just click on them to open, because after 15 the tabs are so small you can't read anything.

I am a child. I'm going to get a bowl Of Ice Cream now. because I'm just not fat enough......

I think there are %10 less Mac users than they say there are. Statistically speaking.
I just made that up.

Personally i thing all COMPUTER users are less intelligent!!


Ooooohhhh did he really say that ?!?!?!?!?!?

A hoax!?! Oh noooooo...

Bob

There's milk 'n cookies? Where?

Waaah, I want my milk 'n cookies!

I bet this is just yet another Internet Hoax, right?


--Mac

Hey, if you read it on the internet, it HAS to be true. You can't lie on the internet.

A computer can make more mistakes in .0001 seconds than a man can make in 100 lifetimes.

Remember, a computer only does what you tell it to do...

...except for when it doesn't.

First two things I learned about computers:
1. they're real fast
2. they're real stupid