Internet Explorer story was bogus - BBC

Internet Explorer story was bogus - BBC

www.bbc.co.uk

A story which suggested that users of Internet Explorer have a lower IQ that people who chose other browsers appears to have been an elaborate hoax.

A number of media organisations, including the BBC, reported on the research, put out by Canadian firm ApTiquant.

It later emerged that the company's website was only recently set up and staff images were copied from a legitimate business in Paris.

It is unclear who was behind the stunt.

The story was reported by many high profile organisations

(visit the link for the full news article)

I thought it was interesting to see how the major media organisation can be misled (at least for a short period), whether as part of a marketing campaign or for some other purpose.

I've looked into a few areas of scientific debate in a fair bit of detail and after that it is hard to read many articles published by high profile media organisations without a bit of a grimace...

I would have hoped that the Internet would be a major tool for fact-checking and improvement of articles but instead its major influence appears to have been to create a demand for more and more news stories as quickly as possible.

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

after this, i am proud to be canadian

humour however crude it maybe seems to be canadas forte lol

i remeber seeing the headline on the site but didnt bother clicking it seeing as to how its hard to substantiate that claim

thanks for this update you may find this thread of interest:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by iforget
thanks for this update you may find this thread of interest:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thanks. So, it wasn't just the mainstream media that was fooled by the article then...

All the best,

Isaac

It just shows how easy it is to hoax everyone on the Internet.

And these are not very elaborate hoaxes.

I did one over 40 years ago on the sierra club and since they have and still are posting the hoax on the Internet.

And when they do i have fun correcting them with proof that its a hoax.

Originally posted by ANNED
I did one over 40 years ago on the sierra club and since they have and still are posting the hoax on the Internet.

And when they do i have fun correcting them with proof that its a hoax.

Hi Anned,

I'm collecting such examples - could you post a relevant link to details of the Sierra Club hoax and your proof that it was a hoax.

All the best,

Isaac

reply to post by IsaacKoi


journalistic standards are no longer what they once were. aside from a few really good hoaxes receiving msm attention every year, there is so much poor or non-news reporting that there are sites devoted to mocking such articles.

you might enjoy viewing fark(dot)com but beware, most of the posts mock, satirize and lampoon the linked 'non-news' articles content, viciously at times. still, that site well illustrates on a daily basis how far into disrepair the once respected fourth estate has fallen.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


People who use Internet Explorer not only have a lower IQ than other computer users, but they also feel that their internet experience should be as slow and painful as possible.

Rev

A few years back it was reported that an office worker died while working and his death went unnoticed for up to 3 days. The hoax was placed in a small newspaper and then it was transferred to other papers that picked up the story. The story has had various reincarnations with the worker in various Scandinavian cities and in US cities.

Here is a Snopes link
www.snopes.com...

Somebody should go check short sales of Microsoft stock in the period leading up to that story being released. Follow the money follow the money...


ganjoa

Originally posted by revmoofoo
reply to post by IsaacKoi

 

People who use Internet Explorer not only have a lower IQ than other computer users, but they also feel that their internet experience should be as slow and painful as possible.

Rev

You know what! I think you just might be on to something here! When I viewed this thread in Internet Explorer, your post came out a little different:

Peoble who use Innernet Exploreh not on habe a lowebuhr IQ dan odeh c'pootr usehs, duuhhhh, but dey also feel dat deir innernet expehiess shudd be as slow 'n painful as posstiggle.

Reb

(and Thanks to The Dialectizer for the assist)

Locally the Piltdown Man is held up as a prime example as to why you do not believe everything anyone says, especially the media and know it alls.

While IQ may have nothing to do with the use of IE, basic skills are.

IE is slow, exploitable and just a general pain in the ass.

There is no reason to use it in this day and age. I recommend Firefox for everyone to use, because it has a large arena of add-ons, good ones at that. All computers I repair for the average end-user I install with Ad-block Plus which saves them a great deal of getting caught in a virus problem. I'd install No-Script to, but most wouldn't understand that.

IE is a POS and should not be used by anyone ever, that is a fact.

I actually read this article today at work and thought it seemed a bit iffy. I use different browsers on different computers, does that mean my IQ fluctuates accordingly?

I think we're set to see in a variety of methods, just how many ways the MSM can be manipulated for whatever gains. For too long the corporate elite have used MSM as a propaganda machine, and as many are proving, anyone can play at that game. I just hope someone gets something other than a laugh out of it.

Originally posted by b3l13v3
While IQ may have nothing to do with the use of IE, basic skills are.

IE is slow, exploitable and just a general pain in the ass.

There is no reason to use it in this day and age. I recommend Firefox for everyone to use, because it has a large arena of add-ons, good ones at that. All computers I repair for the average end-user I install with Ad-block Plus which saves them a great deal of getting caught in a virus problem. I'd install No-Script to, but most wouldn't understand that.

IE is a POS and should not be used by anyone ever, that is a fact.

Indeed.
I feel windows itself is next on that list.
then macs. lol

The news should come as a relief to IE users, we just need to find someone who can speak slowly enough to explain it to them.

reply to post by b3l13v3


I really dont know what all the beef is about with IE. I use it for everything. While there may be a "few" sites that dont do what it's told in IE, I find it very easy to use, fast, with no problems. I use it at work as well, and we are a VERY security sensative department for a very BIG national company. It's all about prefrence, i think.

I've used chrome... It looks cool but I dont care for it.

I've used Firefox.. To me, it loads much slower than IE. Sure, it take slightly less memory to run, but the initial startup is slow. Browsing may seem faster, but honestly, I see no real diffrence.

I've used countless other browsers when my IE had been jacked up in the past, but I always went back to IE quickly after an applied fix or format.

All in all, Ive been using IE since netscape went bust many years ago and I've never had any real issues with it. Sure, it's hard to fix when it's jacked up, but getting it jacked up requires me to visit sites that I really dont trust in the first place. (shrugs) To each his/her own.

My experience with users for the last 40 years would bear these conclusions out.

good thank gosh i gotta tell you this had me worried for a minute that maybe just maybe i wasnt as smart as i originally thought, im glad this has been cleared up now i have my confidence back and everyday life is back to normal