Internet Explorer users 'have below-average IQ'

[Easy Rhino]

I came across this while reading the news and I had to share. Please don't turn this into a flame war, instead focus on where the author and the study may be off base.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...net-Explorer-users-have-below-average-IQ.html

Internet Explorer users 'have below-average IQ'
Users of the most popular web browser, Internet Explorer, tend to have lower-than-average IQ, according to a survey of online habits.

PC World reports that a "psychometric consulting" firm called AptiQuant gave free online IQ tests to 100,000 people, and then plotted the scores against the browser on which the tests were taken.

It found that Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, while Chrome, Firefox and Safari users were very slightly above average. Camino, Opera and Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame were scored "exceptionally" high.

"The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual's cognitive ability and their choice of web browser," AptiQuant concluded. "From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers."

Some people have suggested that there may be other factors at work. Business Insider's Matt Rosoff points out that since IE is the default browser for Windows PC users, anyone who doesn't know how to download and install a new browser will be stuck with it - "which drags down the average". And users of other browsers "include a disproportionate number of computer geeks", which might bring their average up. Or, he admits, it might be that "IE users really are kind of dumb."

Within the group of IE users, version 6 users score lowest, while users of version 8 do rather better.

The overall chart shows that Firefox has the smallest percentage of low-IQ users, and the largest of average or high-IQ users. A similar study five years ago found that users had broadly similar IQs.

Jared Newman of PC World said the results should not be taken too seriously. "They are, after all, comprised only of people who feel compelled to take IQ tests," he said.

"But if you ever want to argue that Internet Explorer 6 users are too stupid to upgrade, at least now you've got some empirical evidence."

 

[Fourstaff]

Confirms suspicions

 

[TheMailMan78]

I came across this while reading the news and I had to share. Please don't turn this into a flame war, instead focus on where the author and the study may be off base.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...net-Explorer-users-have-below-average-IQ.html

Internet Explorer users 'have below-average IQ'
Users of the most popular web browser, Internet Explorer, tend to have lower-than-average IQ, according to a survey of online habits.

PC World reports that a "psychometric consulting" firm called AptiQuant gave free online IQ tests to 100,000 people, and then plotted the scores against the browser on which the tests were taken.

It found that Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, while Chrome, Firefox and Safari users were very slightly above average. Camino, Opera and Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame were scored "exceptionally" high.

"The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual's cognitive ability and their choice of web browser," AptiQuant concluded. "From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers."

Some people have suggested that there may be other factors at work. Business Insider's Matt Rosoff points out that since IE is the default browser for Windows PC users, anyone who doesn't know how to download and install a new browser will be stuck with it - "which drags down the average". And users of other browsers "include a disproportionate number of computer geeks", which might bring their average up. Or, he admits, it might be that "IE users really are kind of dumb."

Within the group of IE users, version 6 users score lowest, while users of version 8 do rather better.

The overall chart shows that Firefox has the smallest percentage of low-IQ users, and the largest of average or high-IQ users. A similar study five years ago found that users had broadly similar IQs.

Jared Newman of PC World said the results should not be taken too seriously. "They are, after all, comprised only of people who feel compelled to take IQ tests," he said.

"But if you ever want to argue that Internet Explorer 6 users are too stupid to upgrade, at least now you've got some empirical evidence."

Thats really not a fair study. IE users are way more abundant then third party browser users. The average would naturally be much lower. Also the fact you would have to have some rudimentary knowledge of computers to even install a third party browser is also an issue. IE ships with ALL computers. Which means any jackass that can move a mouse will use IE.

Pointless study is pointless.

 

[cheesy999]

it is probably because the users with a higher IQ have a higher want to learn about more stuff, therefore meaning there more likely to experiment with other browsers, opera having the highest IQ cause it's the least well known major browser

They should do a thing like this across smartphone platforms, would be intresting to see an IOS vs android IQ test

I'm sticking with IE9 for a while. I rather like it.

EDIT: Got here before i posted i see

 

[Sasqui]

Thats really not a fair study. IE users are way more abundant then third party browser users. The average would naturally be much lower. Also the fact you would have to have some rudimentary knowledge of computers to even install a third party browser is also an issue. IE ships with ALL computers. Which means any jackass that can move a mouse will use IE.

Pointless study is pointless.

They kind of eluded to that in the article.

My thoery is that IE just simply causes stupidity in general

 

[TheMailMan78]

I wonder what he would say about this

on a more serous note, it is probably because the users with a higher IQ have a higher want to learn about more stuff, therefore meaning there more likely to experiment with other browsers, opera having the highest IQ cause it's the least well known major browser

They should do a thing like this across smartphone platforms, would be intresting to see an IOS vs android IQ test

EDIT: Got here before i posted i see

I use IE because I dont have time to mess with open source stuff. If I had that kinda time I wouldn't even bullshit with windows. I would be a Linux guy......as a matter of fact this study is so stupid that I would like to see the IQ tests in OS users. I bet windows would score the lowest there also due to the higher percentage users.......much lower the OSX users and we know how "sharp" most of them are.

 

[cheesy999]

I use IE because I dont have time to mess with open source stuff. If I had that kinda time I wouldn't even bullshit with windows. I would be a Linux guy......as a matter of fact this study is so stupid that I would like to see the IQ tests in OS users. I bet windows would score the lowest there also due to the higher percentage users.......much lower the OSX users and we know how "sharp" most of them are.

i'm using chrome at the moment, simply because it's the only one that hasn't crashed on me in 2 years, i used to use firefox as well but ever since 3.5 mozzila seem to of stopped testing their software, as of last month i use outlook instead of thunderbird as it stopped reading my emails

i tried out IE9 yesterday, and i can sum up my experience by quoting what i said to my computer

What do you mean Bl***Y script error?, i'm only trying to print out the page

 

[streetfighter 2]

Camino, Opera and Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame were scored "exceptionally" high. - FTA

You damn right.

I remember reading (but not where) that Opera is very popular with devs and power users because of its advanced settings. That doesn't change the fact that this study is almost less scientific than that global warming article mailman posted.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Pointless study is pointless.

Yeah this study may be bunk however I would not call it pointless. It served to make me laugh at loud, partly cause it's pretty much true regardless of the method by which they arrived at that conclusion.

 

[Red_Machine]

"From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers."

THIS.

It generally requires a higher level of intelligence to recognise what you use is inferior and be able to seek out alternatives that are better/have the features you want. The people who refuse to upgrade from IE6 need to have their internet shut off. These are likely the kinds of people who don't run antivirus out of ignorance or unfounded dislike for them.

Then there are the people who reufse to upgrade from XP because "VISTA SUX!!!!1!!!111!!!". :shadedshu

 

[LifeOnMars]

It works, it's quick and I have never had any problem with it at all. I'd be stupid to stop using IE.

 

[Easy Rhino]

IE still has over half the browser usage share. i think that because that is so large compared to the others naturally it will bring down the average. but correlation does not mean causation.

 

[Drone]

I don't get the point of their study. Maybe they wanna say that firefox is rocket science. Whatever .... Some people are forced to use IE6 (small business and other organisations) because of compatibility issues. It doesn't make them stupid.

 

[W1zzard]

ie ftw .. never used another browser

 

[cheesy999]

ie ftw .. never used another browser

If only i was in your position, i had to stop using IE due to how often it gives me problems , still your use of IE single handedly proves the survey wrong,

 

[EarthDog]

Should read... IE users have lower COMPUTER IQ than the average.

Thing is my grandparents, and parents for that matter have no idea of any other browsers outside of IE... All listed above are college grads (which doesnt mean you are intelligent really) for the record.

 

[Jstn7477]

My parents live by IE, and they won't change no matter how much I convince them to try something else. They aren't dumb or anything like that, they just don't want to change. My mother is fluent with Quickbooks and trading in the stock market online, but anything from typing a URL in the address bar (she somehow gets around the internet via search boxes) to performing the initial setup on WMP (which is literally one button), forget it. My father is much more savvy but still doesn't want to change browsers.

This study is a load of crap.

 

[Red_Machine]

I used IE religiously up till version 8. It found it to be buggy, unstable and slow. It would lock up for five seconds every time I opened a new tab, crash every time I quit it and just generally misbehaved. I loved v7. If they'd have stuck with that for as long as they stuck with 6, I'd likely still be using IE and not Firefox.

Oddly, everyone I tell my IE8 horror stories to says they only ever had problems with v7...

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Who gives a damn about this study?

Your bosses boss might not have time to deal with BS, and the tech department just assigns IE as the browser. Your company can have restrictive tech policies.

The inclusion of IE as the default browser in the US (Europe won the anti-trust, why can't we) means people may never change. Being over 30 means the internet largely passed you by, and getting on is a low priority; in which case ie 6 is all your old pentium 2 can muster. Yes, this is a hinderance to 98% of the world moving forward. Can you really cut grandma off the internet because she isn't moving fast enough?

If you do, you better not start driving in Florida. Those blue hairs will get some wicked revenge with their cars.

This is why countries go into debt. Stupid money wastes on useless studies. All right, we don't know how to cure cancer or aids, but we know who uses what browser. What the F**k!?!

 

[TheMailMan78]

http://img.techpowerup.org/110801/Capture2314.jpg

ie ftw .. never used another browser

W1zzard and TheMailman agree......all of your arguments are null and void.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Shenanigans!

 

[TheMailMan78]

Camino, Opera and Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame were scored "exceptionally" high. - FTA

You damn right.

I remember reading (but not where) that Opera is very popular with devs and power users because of its advanced settings. That doesn't change the fact that this study is almost less scientific than that global warming article mailman posted.

Its as accurate as 99% of the crap coming out of the IPCC.

 

[cadaveca]

http://img.techpowerup.org/110801/Capture2314.jpg

ie ftw .. never used another browser

I've used other browsers, but IE is my go-to as well.

Now, of course, being a reviewer, I generate content for the masses. If the masses use IE, then I must as well, so that I can see what they do when viewing my content. I still tend to check my reviews with other browsers, too.

I used to use chrome when it had several features that IE didn't, but recently moved back 100% with the release of IE9.

If it wasn't for those other broswers, IE would not be as good as it is now, IMHO, so those other alternatives still definitely have a place on my own systems.

Its as accurate as 99% of the crap coming out of the IPCC.

 

[twilyth]

The only thing I've ever used IE for is to download firefox.

Sometimes I have to use the IE plugins for firefox since there are still developers out there who don't understand that IE's market share keeps declining every year and is now only in the 50% range. They keep coding as if it's the on browser anyone uses. They probably wish we were were still on Windows 3.11 too.

I suppose IE has improved and the last version of FF really was a whiny squealing pig (edit - it actually drove me to use chrome {gasp}), but the thing that makes it the smartest choice is the fact that there are literally thousands of plugins to make it do whatever you want and look however you want. There is simply no substitute for flexibility and adaptability - something IE doesn't and never will have.

 

[qubit]

Damn, I wanted to post about this, but never got round to it.

Here's another article on it:

It's official: IE users are dumb as a bag of hammers