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Web Browsers and IQ correlation.

Critical Hit

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14370878

Researchers gave over 100,000 web surfers a free online IQ test. Scores were stored in a database along with each person's web browser data.

The results suggested that Internet Explorer surfers had an average IQ in the low eighties. Chrome, Firefox and Safari rated over 100, while minority browsers Opera and Camino had an "exceptionally higher" score of over 120

Interesting.
 

Jaguar

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People only use one browser? Not the people I know. I have three installed, but use Firefox and Opera.
 

jimrckhnd

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Wonderful... I use three browsers for different applications and situations. Not because I particularly want to but because I'm forced by internet Balkinization. I wonder how they would put that into their database?
 

rhinosaur

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internet Balkinization

Can you provide some examples of this? It's usually considered bad design to have a site only support some browsers and not others, and would be devastating for virtually any commercial venture. The only times I've really experienced devastating browser incompatibility are on shoddy intra-net sites used to access databases, and I'd hardly consider that Balkanization. Although a disclaimer-- I've hardly tested most sites.
 

jimrckhnd

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Well two very quick examples: there is a commercial site I use to follow professional cycling which simply doesn't work well with Chrome but does pretty well with "exploder". On the other hand I have a lap top that simply won't access a work a browser accessed email system without using Firefox. I always seem to running into sites that won't load well or quickly on one browser but if C&P the link into another browser comes up just fine. Annoys me no end.
 

rhinosaur

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Okay. I misunderstood what you meant by Balkanization. Carry on. :bye:
 

miss fortune

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people care about what web browser they use? :shock:

as long as it's not safari (I loathe Safari... seriously) I really don't care... if I can find what I want all is good :)

I also loathe bing search engine with a passion and once spent an afternoon removing anything associated with it from a computer :thelook:
 

Critical Hit

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people care about what web browser they use? :shock:

as long as it's not safari (I loathe Safari... seriously) I really don't care... if I can find what I want all is good :)

I also loathe bing search engine with a passion and once spent an afternoon removing anything associated with it from a computer :thelook:

Bing is horrible. Once I was at my GFs house and I was trying to find something with her. We looked through pages and pages of search results but found nothing. Then I noticed the little search bar in the corner we were using was Bing. I switched to Google and found it in 5 seconds. I asked her "Why the hell do you have BING on your browser?"

We broke up not to long after that.

She also used IE. Coincidence?
 

miss fortune

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I make fun of my boss' love of bing on a regular basis because I've never been able to find ANYTHING on it... and I don't like the way that the name sounds either. It's rather annoying to remove when it's fully integrated into a computer as well... it involves things that I normally find to be confusing as far as the internet goes :thelook:

I tend to use google chrome just because I have my phone integrated to that as well :cheese:
 

Sanctus Iacobus

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Although I think the results are accurate, the conclusions are not because IE is the default browser. I believe this is only because people with a higher IQ (and supposedly are more intelligent) are more adept at using tools like their computer, which allows them the freedom and desire to develop a personal taste for alternative methods of use. In other words, if you can learn and understand how to use a computer, you're able to try out another, "better" browser. That doesn't mean using IE makes you dumber, it means you didn't change your browser.

But again, the conclusions here are false because IE is the default browser for the majority of PCs. So by default, the most common browser would be correlated with the mean IQ of 100. Then, when you consider everyone who is unable to change their browser, the IQ will drop below 100. This is not a balanced comparison... to make the conclusions they've made, they'd have to give people an objective choice of the 3 at a single point in time, and even that would be sketchy because the majority knows and is comfortable using IE.
 

Kierva

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?!!!??!!
I use chrome.

People who use chrome have average IQ.

Therefore I am of average intelligence.
 

Southern Kross

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The findings have been treated with scepticism by Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University's Statistical Laboratory: "They've got IE6 users with an IQ of around eighty. That's borderline deficient, marginally able to cope with the adult world.

Umm, I'm pretty sure that's fairly accurate.

But seriously, generally I don't blame people for using IE (they don't know how frickin difficult it is to design websites for) - not everyone is technologically minded. Its just like how some people don't understand cars and others say they're stupid for buying what are deemed to be inferior makes.
 
A

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There is no IQ correlation.

But okay! You might actually be Bill Gates and developed applications exclusively for IE because that's what your user base has installed within your corporation. Not to mention Microsoft has finally stepped up their game and, so much so, that IE 8 runs better than the competition on Windows 7: it's stable, significantly faster, has 3-new privacy features, improved anti-phishing filter, etc.

For anyone interested in the heavy hitters and who's boss, http://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=1&sample=32
As you can see IE kicks ass!

Microsoft bashers like to claim that the Internet Explorer market share is what it is because the browser is automatically included with the Windows operating system. The fact is, there isn't a one-to-one relationship between Windows and Internet Explorer despite the inclusion of the browser with the operating system in the United States. In Europe, Window's users are given a choice between a dozen different browsers they can install (included w/Windows); therefore, the success of IE in Europe isn't linked to the Window's operating system. That's contrary to what some of my fellow Americans assumed about people not bothering to install another brower because they're running Windows where it's 'always' pre-installed. That's simply not true.
 
A

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Yes, Bing sux.

[Microsoft has the highest IQ, :p and isn't perfect.:/]
 

Haphazard

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I use Camino. I got it under the impression that it was Firefox for Mac, but you can get Firefox for Mac, so... :/

Anyway, has anyone figured out how to get RSS on Camino? I was so surprised it was mentioned at all. I thought I was the only one in the world who used it, because nobody I know has ever heard of it except my dad.
 

Valiant

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I use chrome, opera and firefox... Does that give me a combined IQ of >320?
 

Jessica

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Although I think the results are accurate, the conclusions are not because IE is the default browser. I believe this is only because people with a higher IQ (and supposedly are more intelligent) are more adept at using tools like their computer, which allows them the freedom and desire to develop a personal taste for alternative methods of use. In other words, if you can learn and understand how to use a computer, you're able to try out another, "better" browser. That doesn't mean using IE makes you dumber, it means you didn't change your browser.

But again, the conclusions here are false because IE is the default browser for the majority of PCs. So by default, the most common browser would be correlated with the mean IQ of 100. Then, when you consider everyone who is unable to change their browser, the IQ will drop below 100. This is not a balanced comparison... to make the conclusions they've made, they'd have to give people an objective choice of the 3 at a single point in time, and even that would be sketchy because the majority knows and is comfortable using IE.

This.

/uses Chrome as primary and Firefox as secondary
 

Kriash

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I know a few really intelligent people who use IE. I don't understand why anyone would want to use it- but I guess everyone has their preferences. I use Firefox and Chrome. I used to just use Firefox, but for some reason it's really laggy on my new laptop, and Chrome works great, so it has became my new primary browser.

Also, I set up a neighbors new laptop a couple days ago, and it came with both IE and Chrome pre-installed.
 

Fluffywolf

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I use internet explorer because I am too lazy to mess about with any other browser, IE works fine, does all it needs to do and more. Although on slow or crap PC's like some we got at work I've installed google chrome because that browser is much faster (especially with use of google maps, which is used a lot at our company). On my own PC speed difference in browsers is neglectable though, they're all fast.

Reasons not to use IE depends on your PC and your ability to keep your PC crap free.
IE is not a super fast browser, if you have a slow PC, there will be notable difference in using IE or other faster browsers. And obviously most adaware/malware creators focus on IE exploits as IE is the largest user market and therefor offers the biggest target for crapware.

But if you got a fast PC and the neccesary knowledge about the inner workings of windows, malware/spyware and know the proper anti malware programs, then IE works as good as any other browser. (most anti malware programs are malware themselves. Tricky bastards huh? :D)
 

Tallulah

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I use Chrome, though sometimes it drives me nuts. I like the fact that I can type things into the address bar to google them, for one thing. I hate Firefox and IE. I have never tried Opera, because I had only heard people talk about it when referring to mobile devices (same with Safari). I didn't realize it was a regular browser, as well. Never heard of Camino.
 
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