[GLLUG] Using Internet Explorer

[Robert Roosa]

It is about knowing first what a web-browser is; second, that there are 
alternatives; and third, that the alternatives *might* be better. Those 
with a lower than average IQ might be less aware of options, but just 
because someone is using Internet Explorer doesn't mean they have a low IQ.

Example: I was once helping a customer fix her computer. I asked her to 
walk me through the steps in recreating the problem. She kept telling me 
to "click on the internet"--I had to clarify what this meant. What she 
meant was, click on the Internet Explorer icon to launch IE.

This doesn't make her a dumb person, in fact, she was a well respected 
school teacher for many years. It just means that she either didn't 
receive instruction on what a browser is or doesn't know that there are 
alternatives.

Also, there is a great deal of web-based software that flat out requires 
Internet Explorer (at my work, I use two types of such web-based 
software). For some of these computers, alternative browsers aren't 
installed because there is no need.

Not to play spoiler, just some food for thought.

Roberto

On 8/1/2011 2:32 PM, Clay Dowling wrote:
> On 8/1/11 1:43 PM, Phil Smith wrote:
>> Is this confirmation of what most suspected? :)
>>
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/8674678/Internet-Explorer-users-have-below-average-IQ.html
>>
> It has less to do with browser features and more to do with people's
> incentives to change.  For something like 75% of the population IE is
> the default browser.  It takes higher IQ to even know there is an
> option, let alone take the initiative to learn about it and install it.
>
> You could do an identical study comparing religion and intelligence.  In
> this country, it would show Christians being the least intelligent,
> Muslims being brighter and Atheists as the smartest.  It's not that you
> have to be dumb to be a Christian or a Muslim, it's that those two are
> more likely to represent the default, unquestioned state for most
> people.  Atheism, on the other hand, tends to take a lot of
> self-questioning that somebody of lower intelligence isn't even going to
> think to do.  And by the way, I'm not pulling those rankings out of my
> kiester, there are plenty of studies to show that, and militant Atheists
> who like to throw them in the face of the faithful.
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